A Community Development District 7 supervisor is blasting costs paid by residents for “man-made sinkholes” in The Villages.
Supervisor Jerry Vicenti pointed to more than $1 million in repairs for pipes, pumps and sinkholes approved Monday by the Project Wide Advisory Committee. He is concerned that PWAC will want more money from CDD 7 to cover costs of “inferior construction.”
Vicenti said he is suspicious of some of the sinkholes occurring in The Villages.
“Not all sinkholes are made by Mother Nature. Some of the sinkholes are man-made by bad pipes. It’s costing the residents a fortune,” Vicenti said.
He pointed to recent pipe failures in the Village of Fenney, south of State Road 44.
“How the hell are pipes breaking after four to five years in Fenney? Newer districts are having big problems,” Vicenti said.
He blamed the problems on inferior construction.
He said the problems will come back to residents and “bite them in the butt.”
He predicted PWAC will want more money from the CDDs to pay for the costs. PWAC is funded through maintenance assessments paid by residents south of County Road 466. He said it’s a matter of time.
“I am very concerned about ‘sooner or later’ – and I am afraid ‘sooner’ is going to be sooner, rather than later,” Vicenti said.
CDD 7 Supervisor Steve Lapp alleged PWAC is merely “rubber stamping” all of the expenses presented to the board.
“They are less concerned about the residents,” Lapp said.