Water for the Homeless…for now

(This was originally posted June 23, 2009 during the shelter v. city fight over water.)

The Taskforce went to court today to try and get the water turned back on in the shelter. They were successful, for now. The judge was sympathetic to the city (they are owed $170,000) and to the shelter (700 people without water or turned out on the streets). So the judge decided to command the city to turn the water back on for one week at which point the shelter must come up with $15,000 to pay on the bill (by June 30th). The the shelter will have another two weeks to come up with an additional $15,000 (by July 15th). At which time the shelter must also present legal briefs documenting the blocking of funds being given to the shelter and the interference of fund-raising for the shelter by the city government. This is the central argument by the shelter for their tardiness in paying their bills: the city has deliberately and illegally thwarted their abilty to raise funds. These documents should be easy to prepare as the shelter was already preparing to sue the city for such actions. The city must also produce emails and documents that show their continued interference with the shelters funds.  See Jim Beaty’s blog for more detail on the city’s responsibilities to the court.  As far as the mysterious investor goes, the word on the street is that the amount being given is $2.5 million. But this appears to be just enough to get them out of the hole. The Taskforce not only owes the water bill, but other bills, loans and delinquencies.