No decision on private utility proposal

After voting last month to halt consideration of a private company’s multimillion-dollar proposal to build a county water and sewer system, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors decided today to officially end their consideration of the deal despite being asked to reconsider by the company.

In September, the supervisors voted 5-2 to take the Culpeper Utility Partners unsolicited deal off the table, citing concerns about the county’s financial liability in the proposed project.

But CUP reintroduced its proposal at today’s monthly BOS meeting with revised financing and asked the county to think again. Headed by Angler Development Executive Vice President Steve Vento, CUP is a limited liability company formed specifically for the Culpeper project.

“Everything you’ve told me to look at, I’ve looked at,” Vento told supervisors. He also said that Lynchburg-based English Construction would take Angler’s place as the project’s leading firm to relieve concerns about Angler’s financial stability.

But Supervisor Larry Aylor said he still wasn’t satisfied, noting that the financial elements of the revised plan were not ready.

County Attorney Roy Thorpe explained that in order to reconsider the CUP proposal, any of the board members would have to make a motion to rescind the Sept. 2 action. However, no board members made a motion to that effect, essentially bringing the plan to a close.

Look for full coverage in Wednesday’s Star-Exponent