The question of extending the time two Eupora water customers could pay high water bills resulting from burst pipes led to a tie vote that the mayor broke.
Mayor Lamar Dumas brought the issue up during department head reports at the Feb. 5 meeting of the Eupora Board of Aldermen. He informed the board that a North Lake Circle resident had a $416.20 water bill because of burst pipes. Water Superintendent Joel Williamson said the leak was on the front side of the resident’s water meter and “we fixed it.” The $416 is the amount due after credit was given for sewer charges, he said.
Dumas said he thought the city should work with the water customer, noting that she is on a fixed income. Initially, the discussion was only about her an extended period of time to pay her bill. However, City Clerk Gail Newton pointed out that a Bellefontaine customer who lives on Highway 404 also had an extremely high bill — $764.90 — because of burst pipes. Both bills were for December water usage, according to Newton.
Dumas said he supported spreading the bill payments out over six months for both because of their situations. He said the city lost money because of burst pipes, adding, “We need to have something to show that we care.”
Robert Gibbs (Ward 4), who also voiced support for extending the payment time, said, “it was an action of Mother Nature.”
Jerry Gary (at-large) said he did not think the city should deviate from its past practices of giving water customers 90 days to pay their bills.
“We’ve had lots of freezes,” he said. “We can’t give away water.”
Junior Shaw (Ward 1) agreed that the (North Lake Circle resident’s) bill needed to be paid, but said, “I think we need to be a little lenient on it because she’s on a fixed income.”
Howard Rumore (Ward 2) said he feared setting a precedent by extending the payment time.
After further discussion, Dumas entertained a motion to give both water customers six months to pay their bills. Shaw made a motion to do so and Gibbs seconded.
With both of those aldermen voting aye, and Gary and Rumore voting nay, the vote was tied because Hugh Gibson (Ward 3) had left earlier to attend a meeting of the Webster County School Board, for which he serves as attorney. Dumas broke the tie by voting in favor of the motion and therefore it was approved.
The city has no kind of policy allowing any kind of extension for payment of water bills past 30 days, according to Deputy City Clerk Jenny Hatcher.
The forum section of the Office of the State Auditor’s website includes a response to this question: “Does a board of aldermen have the power to provide extensions of time to pay water bills in emergency situations?”
Citing a 2010 attorney general’s opinion, the response was, “A board of aldermen may adopt a formal policy that, under certain defined exigent circumstances, would allow a reasonable amount of additional time for a citizen to pay a just and due water bill provided such policy does not result in unlawful donations.”
Joe Draine of Draine Road also addressed the board about water usage earlier in the meeting. He did not request extended payment time because he prepays, but said he had a water leak that he believed led to his water being contaminated and making him sick.
Draine said he was not aware of the leak and never lost water pressure in his house, but that it resulted in water getting in his water meter box, which is away from his house in an open field. He asked that the Water Department be more on the lookout for such problems in the future and contact the homeowner in those situations.
Additionally, Governor Mays, a part-time maintenance employee of J&A Management, asked for clarification about responsibility for repairing certain water leaks at Southwood Acres.
Blight update,
brownsfield grant
Also at the meeting, board attorney Jacqueline Meek gave aldermen a blight update. She was authorized in October to issue letters to notify property owners in violation of the city blight ordinance of the need to clean up their property.
Meek said she had talked to almost every one of them about cleaning up their properties and that all have plans in mind to do so. The board instructed her to give one property owner on Adams Avenue 30 days to respond regarding his intentions and all others 60 days before the city starts the legal process if necessary.
Phylis Benson of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District addressed the board about brownfield grants. A brownfield is a property of which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality announced last year that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Brownfields grants to entities in the state. The GTPDD received a three-year grant that includes the expansion of a brownfields inventory.
Benson said the program would help make vacant industrial sites more marketable and would be at no cost to the city. The board voted to approve related access agreements between the city and PM Environmental.
Louise Shavers of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging’s Senior Community Service Employment Program asked the city to become a partner with the program. SCSEP works with low-income residents who are more than 55 years of age who are unemployed by providing them training and possible job placement. The board later directed the mayor to obtain more information from Shavers before making a decision.
During department head reports, Park Director Rusty Bowen asked the board to discuss his pay scale and the possibility of going to a full-time employee. Aldermen agreed to have a special-called meeting at a later date to discuss the matter so that Gibson could be present.
Other action
In other business Feb. 5, the Board of Aldermen:
• declared an emergency situation involving a Street Department truck and authorized the writing of a letter to USDA Rural Development requesting permission to buy a truck now. Planner George Crawford of the GTPDD said the city already has a grant application pending for the truck.
• took quotes from Netcomm Wiring and Synergetics for technical and network cabling at City Hall and the fire station under advisement.
• voted to remove the two speed bumps on Waterworks Road that are closest to the curve, and leave the one closest to Highway 9 with a sign by it so drivers cannot go around it.
• accepted a city flag design by Eupora High School art student Shannon Alred.
• voted to accept a $685 quote from Netcomm Wiring to install a security system at Gary Park. where Bowen said there had been a number or break-ins at the concession stand.
• accepted a $400 donation from Lott’s Fireworks for use of the city lot on Highway 9 South.
• agreed to participate in the Great American Cleanup 2018.
• accepted a $7,200 reimbursement checkout for the last two officers who completed the police academy. It will be placed in the Police Department’s training budget.
Also, Dumas swore in two EHS students to the Mayor’s Youth Council.
Water system
grant hearing
A public hearing was held Jan. 16 at City Hall regarding the city’s application for water system improvements through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, which is a unit of USDA Rural Development.
Stanley Spradling of Calvert-Spradling Engineers went over the scope of the project. According to minutes of the hearing, the major items include:
• A new deep-water well
• A new 200,000-gallon elevated water storage tank
• A new 16-inch water line from the new elevated tank to the Tomnolen area where the wells are located
• Repair and replacement of water lines at Whites Creek and creek crossing on Highway 9
• Additional storage capacity at the LaGrange pump station
• Generator at the Walthall pump station
Also discussed was alternate work that could be accomplished if money is available:
• Replace water lines in the city streets because of deterioration and severe leaks. The lines would be relocated out of the paved area.
• Improve the ability of the Walthall pump station to recover after a loss in pressure in the Walthall and Bellefontaine area
There was additional discussion about the funding timeframe because of a lack of a budget passed by Congress. The funding schedule is unknown.
