Last week, Arlene Buetow circulated to our committee members an email attaching a “personal opinion piece” she submitted for publication in the Review.

The piece deals with the divestiture of the city’s water utility. At the bottom of the piece she identified herself as the vice chair of the Utility Advisory Committee.

As you also know, the UAC is in the middle of discussing the divestiture issue and, in all likelihood, I anticipate we will have a formal recommendation for the council within the next week or two, but we have not yet made any decision on this issue.

Arlene’s identification of herself as our vice chair at the bottom of her opinion piece is misleading and inaccurate because it falsely gives the impression to your readers that she is writing as an authorized representative of the UAC.

Arlene has not been authorized to speak on behalf of the UAC and her position advocating in favor of divestiture is not the position of the UAC, as we have not yet voted on this issue.

Dan Mallove, chair

Utility Advisory Committee