Two Jay residents, one representing two businesses, spoke at the Monday night council meeting about the new water and sewer fees in Jay, expressing concern that the rise in cost will cause hardships for their small business and non-profit organization.
Tony Howard of 4257 Spring Street, said the non-profit Jay Masonic Lodge will not be able to sustain it's presence since it was put on a commercial water fee schedule. Howard said the Freemasons raise money for charity with fundraisers and pay their operating expenses with member dues.
“By law, we cannot use our charity money to pay bills,” said Howard. “We meet twice a month and the ladies' auxiliary Eastern Star meet once a month. I've done research, and we never have even used the minimum. Doubling our water bill puts a real financial burden on us.”
Howard suggested having two commercial rates, one for non-profits, such as churches and his organization, and one for profit. “We are not budgeted to pay almost double,” he said. “We are looking for some type of relief. If there's something you can do to help, it would really help us. We don't know how we will be able to do that, because we are limited.”
Jay Mayor Shon Owens said he thought putting something together for non-profits, if the law will allow it, and something the council would agree on, would be beneficial to non-profits and something the town should look at.
Mike Herring, 3990 Highway 4 for Mike's Autos, was there with Craig Allen with Craig's Auto Repair, approached the council about the water fees.
Herring said that a small business with one or two people employees, there is not enough water used to merit the fee.
“Every one of my bills says 1,000 gallons,” said Herring. “We don't use nearly that much water. Also, this year, we had to install a water back flow valve, which was another $450, even though we don't drink the water because it's bad.”
Owens said he has four water accounts that doubled and therefore he can sympathize with residents. He explained that the town is addressing the water pipe issues and a decision had to be made to go up on rates as one of the few ways the water issues can be addressed.
“We get little participation and these people up here have to make these decisions,” said Owens. “We've gotten help, but the problem is, we are a million dollars short to complete it and if we don't borrow it and go into debt, this raise in rates is one of the ways. We are addressing problems that did not get taken care when maybe it should have. Now we are being effected. It just wasn't planned properly. I just don't know the right answer. I'd love to see the city limits expanded so we could get the town back to lower rates.”
In other business, the council discussed the sewage connection situation at the building where Opie's Kool Stop is at 5252 Commerce St.
According to Owens, he estimated the building was a two-story building that may have been used as apartments above the first floor 50 years ago, with one bathroom serving the bottom floor, which is hooked up to a small septic tank in the back of the building.
Owens said there is a hole there that is exposed and could be therefore a liability to the building owner and the town.
“When the current owner installed a second bathroom, they just hooked into the line, and maybe didn't realize that is was not hooked up to the main sewer line on Commerce Street when it was redone,” said Owens. “The problem is that was not the pipe that was used for the sewage system that works the current bathroom that's in there.”
Owens said that since it is being used as a restaurant, there is a lot more water flow and bathroom use by customers and even though the tank was pumped out, it filled up again quickly.
“We all assumed it was hooked up on sewer,” he said. “At the end of the day, it needs to be hooked into the sewer system. Part of the issue is because of the age of the building, and how it might have taken place that long ago, we just don't know. They are paying a water bill and a sewer bill. It needs to be addressed, it needs to be fixed.”
Owens said there are some issues with the project, one that it has to tie in on Highway 89, which is a state road, and there are issues with the storm water being in the way. He said that there's a tap that is required, which costs more, especially if a bore is involved.
Owens asked the council to consider paying for the bore and getting it to a point they can tap into it.
“I think it should be discussed and negotiated,” said Owens. “Let me be crystal clear. This does not mean that everybody who's not on sewer just because they've been paying for sewer, means that we pay for their system to be hooked into. This is a current system that is already tied into the sewer.”
A quote for a directional bore a year ago was $4,000 and there is a permit involved, according to Operations Manager Eric Seib.
Council members discussed that negotiations with the building's owner to share the cost of the sewer upgrade may be the best course of action. The matter was tabled until a future meeting.
