Mr. Lloyd you of all people should now that rumors maybe untrue at times and other times they might very well be true, but rumors create the need for an investigation if wrong doing, foul play and/or corruption seems likely especially in deals that are shady.
Of course the rumor must be plausible though, sometimes a rumor may seems to unlikely other times it make all the sense in the world, and base on the latter argument an investigation or fact finding mission to determine if it is indeed the truth whole heartedly or in part should commence, the problem is that in Sint Maarten we don’t have any investigative journalism, a very vital and important component.

When the Former United states President Bill Clinton stood on national Television and said he had no sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky it was all a rumored then, however the truth surface and it was no longer a rumor and the rest is history.

When the commissioner can tell you (on your Sunday Radio program) he don’t entertain rumored questions because his answers can spark rumors as well shows a lack of respect not only towards you but the general public. For example you could have asked him the following:
Is it true that the Dutch side of Sint Maarten is receiving water from the French side water company? That is a rumor, but the rumor is plausible seeing the need to acquire Ernerserve NV at this present time. So your question would have been with-in reason for an answer, see my point Lloyd.

I listened to the island council with great interest only to find out that we are actually in a water crisis, What got me really annoyed is the statements made by our commissioner of Energy Mr. Roy Marlin, he said that he will not be held responsible if any crisis developed from a delay in establishing the new water company called Air-Fin, quite interesting I can assure you.

Commissioner Roy Marlin along with the executive council (DP party) allowed the island to be developed beyond the means of the water production company Enerserve NV.

Don’t forget he sits as chair man on the NV GEBE board of directors; he is also the commissioner of housing, two portfolios that would make it compulsory to keep him abreast of the islands capacity demands.

Enerserve NV is producing water at its maximum production out put, around 11500 to 12460 cubic meters however the latter figure is their absolute maximum.
We pay Enerserve US$ 1.63 for every cubic meter of water as long as the water production is at or below 9375 cubic meters, base on the legal established water production contract, a ten year contract between Government and Enerserve that has just three more years before expiring

If, base on the demand the Water plant produce more water over 9375 cubic meters then a fee of US$ 1.19 is applicable, all is well so far, then comes the shocker, as mentioned earlier the Commissioner along with the rest of executive council (DP party) has allowed the island to have an uncontrolled development that the water demand is beyond the capacity of the water production plant Enerserve NV, the demand that the island is demanding in drinking water or water production by Enerserve NV is around 14600 cubic meters a day (highest recorded peak).

The million dollar question every body on Sint Maarten need to ask is, where in the hell is the additional 3000 cubic meters of water is coming from? Since the water plant can only dish-out 11600 (taken into account the average maximum peak out-put).

Well the million dollar answer to the million dollar question is…..from two water production source.

Aqua design NV (A water plant out of the Mullet bay area) which has been assisting us in our water consumption demand from as far as the year 2005, however, in 2005 it was sporadic, but from 2006 Aqua design is continuously supplying us with water up to this date. Their production has been growing all the time till today they assist us with an out-put of around 1100 cubic meters.
Aqua design charges US$ 2.98 per a cubic meter.

The next source of help comes from the French side or the French water company they provide us with the additional water assistance to make up for the 3000 cubic water downfall. They started assisting us from late 2006 and have been continuously assisting.
Now hold on to your hats, because we are charged a whooping € 5 plus Euros a cubic meter from our French counterparts for assisting us with water supply, to put it another way, we are paying a little over US$ 6.78 for the water delivered to us from the French side.

Looking at our precarious situation Dutch Sint Maarten some brilliant minds came together to see how they can solve it.
They decided to build a new water plant/company down in the Cupecoy area, besides that the government in the person of Commissioner Roy Marlin wants to give a new contract to a new Water production company called Air-Fin, this new company Air-Fin to be specific will acquire Enerserve by the blessing of the island council or better yet the executive council, DP party the ruling government.

The ten year contract between government and Enerserve has a little less than three more years to go until the contract comes to and end, to buy the company now; which is the desire of the Government, would mean that they/ someone will have to pay Enerserve a total of US$ 4.5 million, that’s what the company and Government agreed to in the buy out clause, government has the right to buy it at any time, however a penalty would have to be paid if such a transaction would ever take place and sure enough it is taken place today.

Where did the US$ 4.5 million figure derived from? That’s what must be paid to Enerserve in the 7th seventh year should government opt to buy it.
The US $ 4.5 million is the penalty fee so to speak; however, if government waits just 3 three more years then they will receive Enerserve for absolutely nothing, US$ 0.00.

SOOO the Billion dollar question every one on Sint Maarten should be asking is….why pay, or allowed some one to pay US$4.5 million dollars to set up a new water company Air-Fin for another 10 years when the Water company Enerserve will be turned over to Government in (3) three years time for US$ 0.00 and besides that it will become Governments property.

Now where in the world did NV GEBE comes in to play in all this?
First and foremost it most be noted that the workers, all the workers in Enerserve are paid and have all title to employment benefits by NV GEBE not Enerserve, so its no strange reason why NV GEBE’s present management are expressing the desire to manage or own the Enerserve water company.

After all NV GEBE is also the sole and legal operating entity that is authorized by government to distribute and manage the distribution of water through-out the island, in addition they are the ones that are consistently paying both Aqua-design and the French water company for the additional water supply a responsibility that belongs squarely on the island government territory of Dutch Sint Maarten.

NV GEBE is also responsible for executing the testing of the water on a daily bases for consistency requirements that must be met for safe consumption of drinking water.

Another good reason is the following, UNESCO-IHE (note: not government) also give or awarded NV GEBE the green light to operate or institute the sewage facility and master plan for the island government, this was done valuating two proposals NV GEBE proposal and NEWCO (Business venture between government and Intaquin BV) proposal.

You remember the synergy that Mr. Lambert (former director of NV GEBE) used to express, which means Electricity, water and Sewage treatment all in one company.
Don’t forget NV GEBE also does the billing for the water company as well.
No wonder NV GEBE is expressing the desire to have this company, NV GEBE’s request to the island government is to allow Enerserve to continue its operation and allow them to carry out the necessary upgrade (which they indicated to do for free) that will cater to the present and immediate future demands, wait out the 3 years where you will only pay Enerserve for the cost of the upgrade/expansion.

The trillion dollar question every body in Sint Maarten have to ask is….Why is NV GEBE not being considered at present, especially seeing that they are already involved in the water system such as paying the employees at Enerserve, managing the entire Dutch Sint Maarten water distribution system, the billing and collection of water monies.

Why do we always have to deal with melee and rumours ?
Get a life and make sure that you are focused on self progression .
Thank you.

The people that exposed Bill Clinton was not lovers of Melee and rumor but rather lovers of the truth, hence was smart enough to look at the rumors, sift through it and sure enough the truth surfaced. I can tell just by your statements that you are either a politician or is very good friends with one.

The way to kill a rumor is not to scuff it off as lies, but rather to counter act by facts not just talking about it but also displaying evidence, where is your evidence to prove what I wrote is rumors, melee or lies.

As mentioned before there are different kinds of rumors, there are rumors that will make you go huh….can’t be….. to far fetch to be true, then there are those that makes you go hmmm…..I can see why it is plausible, I guess the latter situation was the out come of Bill Clinton final testimony of the Monica Lewinsky case.

It’s easy to dispel rumor as just rumors than to tackle them with the truth.

I'm not a Politician nor friends with any of them.
However , but just looking at the analogy you used i.e Monica's story tells me alot about yourself.

Fact of the mater is, a rumor is still just a rumor & one cannot be perceived to be guilty because of a rumor. One does not have the obligation to prove what is said about him is just a rumor.
Rather, the one making the accusation or spreading the rumor has the obligation to prove what he is saying is true.
In other words one does not have to prove himself innocent. It is the duty of the other side to prove him guilty.
Not responding to a rumor should not be considered a proof of guilt or that the person is hiding something because he or she does not respond.
I believe a person is within their rights to ignore rumors & innuendos unless some legitimate charge is made against them.
If someone says you are gay how do you prove you are not. You can't, therefore you simply ignore it. But, if someone of the same sex goes public & says, I had sex with him or her that's a different story. You've been outed.
How often have we seen right here on St. Maarten where rumors are spread about people insinuating everything from someone being gay or having AIDS to being arrested for this or that, only to find out after that "no'tin tall go so."
Yes, it is so that some rumors turn out to be true, but that does not mean that everything that is said about people is true. The adage that "where there is smoke there is fire" is not always true. There are smoke generating machines.
There are also human smoke machines, malicious people in every society who deliberately spread lies about others for all kinds of reasons such as jealousy, hatred, envy & you name it.
Let's remember that one is innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around.
Also, the example of rumors against President Clinton & what's being rumored about Com. Marlin is really far-fetched. There is nothing relative about both cases. Monika & her "friend" were out in the open. They were not annonymous.
There is a saying that goes, "if you want to beat a dog you can always find something to use to carry out your intention.
Let's wait for formal charges to be filed against the commissioner before we all become judges and executioners based on rumors.
As the bible says "do onto others as you would have them do onto you." Everyone deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

Hi lloyd
Congratulations on the answer that you give to rumor or
truth which is it? Your answer is very good.Keep up the good work on your forum post.The letter was to long ,i take two days to read it.THIS IS A WELL ANSWER

Margaret

I looked at this thread with great interest, although I work at NV GEBE I am not part of management, therefore cannot speak on their behalf, I will certainly and respectively leave it to those who are authorized by the company to do so. However, base on the letter the Managing director sent to the Lieutenant governor and the article that was printed in “The Daily Herald” news paper I understand and has knowledge of his/their position on the subject.

As a worker of NV GEBE I am of course privileged to certain information that the general public is not aware of, but like I said I am not and will not in any shape or form take on the role of the company’s spokes man, What ever I say here hence forth is for my own account, and whether express or imply is not the views of NV GEBE, enough said.

The rumors post are quite fascinating to say the least and this as far as I will go on the rumor subject when it revolves around NV GEBE.

The problem that I have is bigger than the Air-Fin issue but it by its very nature brings it into focus, it have to do with the appointment of Commissioners as chairperson on the board of companies, and thus brings Commissioner’s Roy Marlin role as a chairman of NV GEBE into perspective.

I believe that Commissioners should not be allowed to sit on board of companies’ period; their very position as chairman of the board of directors is and can be a real present and/or potential conflict of interest.
In 2004 at the Prime minister forum “looking back to move forward” Prime Minister Miguel Pourrier made mentioned of this aspect. Council woman Gracita Arrindell also on the island council floor made mention (quite often) of this too.

The role of a board of director is a fiduciary role once he/she accepts the board of directorship.
A Fiduciary is expected to be extremely loyal to the person or Organization to whom they owe the duty (the principle). In other words they must at all times serves the principle’s interest putting aside their own preferences for that of the principle.
A fiduciary must not put their personal interest or the interest of others directly or indirectly before the duty unless the principle consents.
The fiduciary relationship is highlighted by good faith, loyalty and trust; it is the highest standard of care that is imposed on any individual as a board of director.

The principle in this case is NV GEBE; the fiduciary is the commissioner Mr. Roy Marlin (and the other board members) his duty is to sit as chairman of the board and carryout all function relevant to the position.
But the commissioner Roy Marlin also carries’s other responsibility that can compromise his position as chairperson of the board of directors of NV GEBE and thus in fiduciary law terms create a conflict of duty and duty, a fiduciary’s duty must not conflict with another fiduciary duty.

The commissioner whether consciously or unconsciously is in this dilemma because he has many responsibilities, he is in fact a multiple “fiduciary individual”, and thus force the question to whom are you loyal to.

Who are you absolutely loyal to? Are you loyal to the portfolio of water, which you are responsible for or are you absolutely loyal to NV GEBE as a chairman of the board directors? Remember, all commissioners that sit on board of companies, or any individual for that matter is de facto a fiduciary.

My views are not to put down any one, but to point out my thoughts on the delicate position commissioners put themselves into by sitting as board members in companies be it privately owned or Government owned. Commissioner Roy Marlin’s position was only used to realistically highlight my views.