Homeowner Asks For Utility Relief

Staff Writer

West Tawakoni resident Donald Davis got the sort of shock nobody wants to get from a utility bill.

A recent water and sewer bill from the city, normally anywhere from $50-80 per month, suddenly shot up to $491.

Tuesday, Davis spoke to the West Tawakoni City Council asking for help with the mysterious sharp billing increase.

"That’s a hard hit," he said about the bill, later adding that he paid the entire amount to avoid any risk of service disconnection.

Davis said he was also upset at not being notified sooner that there was a big discrepancy in the meter reading.

City administrator Cloy Richards said the meter in question was pulled and tested by an outside technician.

"It checked to within one percent, so we have to believe the meter was accurate," Richards said.

However, he agreed that Davis should have been notified of a potential problem much sooner than two weeks after the fact.

"We will take ownership of that," Richards said, adding that the city’s water and sewer department did have authority to make a credit adjustment to Davis’ sewer bill.

"We do not have the authority to adjust a water bill, though," he explained, saying any action on that would have to come from the council.

"I don’t mind paying the base rate," Davis told the council. "I just can’t afford to see another $500 bill."

He also said he had bypassed a water purification system he had installed on his property to see if that may have been the source of a water leak directly into the sewer line.

The council voted to table action on any adjustment to Davis’ water bill until its June 10 meeting, by which time the final bill for the most recent cycle will have been calculated.

Also in Tuesday’s meeting, Pete Yoho took the oath of office for a new term as mayor. He, along with new council members Gerald "Rosie" Rosebure, Carol Soloman and returning member Winston Dennis, were sworn in by municipal court Judge Janice Leuze.

The judge also took the oath of office for a new term and was sworn in by city secretary Susan Roberts.

Place 1 council member Carol Welch was elected as mayor pro tem.

The council granted an abandonment of utility easements on four lots in the Vanceville subdivision for Sonny Upchurch.

Richards said no utilities existed in the marked areas. The action was necessary so a plat change could be made through the title company. Upchurch said the changes will allow the properties to be sold for planned double-wide mobile homes.

The council tabled action on changes being made to the city employee policy handbook to allow employee input on the changes.

Richards outlined the changes, most of those centered around policies on comp time, overtime pay and other employee benefits like workman’s compensation, sick days and personal days.

In his city administrator’s report, Richards included the following updates:

— Five lift stations have already been reworked and J.R. Sheldon and Company plan to have the work finished in June. Parts for the new electrical control systems will be available at Greenville Electric.

— Construction of the water plant building is starting with a scheduled completion date in August. The contract date was extended 11 days and now stands at Aug. 21.

— Work on the recreational vehicle pads at the park is continuing.

— Soil tests have been ordered on a location for the boat ramp project.

— The state has certified the STEP project closed, which will allow for a Community Development Block Grant application as well as a Planning and Capacity Grant.