Town Cuts $3,000 Sewer Bill, But Woman Will Still Have To Pay Up

June 3, 2008

The Town of Century will greatly reduce a Century woman’s $3,000 bill, but only because they have to do so. And she’ll still have to pay up all the town can collect.

When Leola Robinson placed a mobile home on property she owns in the 7500 block of Williams Street, she did not connect the trailer to the town’s sewer system. The town billed her each month for the minimum sewage usage charge, and that bill reach about $3,000 by the time the issue came before the town council about a month ago.

Council President Ann Brooks read two town ordinances Monday that indicate that every property owner in the town must connect any structure to the town’s sewer service within three months. If not, the ordinances say the town can charge the property owner a minimum monthly fee and enter the person’s property to connect the service. The ordinances also prohibit septic tanks in the town unless approved by the health department and the council.

“I feel like I was elected to uphold those laws,” Brooks said.

Mayor Freddie McCall said the most the town could collect from Robinson would be charges from the past four years….about $624.

Council member Henry Hawkins said he felt like the council was “barking up the wrong tree” trying to collect from Robinson because the trailer is rented out. “My contention is that we are billing the wrong person.”

But Brooks pointed out the ordinance specifically says “property owners” are responsible for the sewage connection.

“It is still partially our error,” councilman Gary Riley said, since the ordinance stipulates that the town will make the sewage connection at the owner’s expense if the owner does not hire a private plumber.”We are not really forgiving her for anything. “I’m just willing to wipe the slate clean.”

Brooks recommend that the council bill Robinson the $624 and install a sewage tap at her driveway. She would be required, Brooks said, to connect to the sewage tap in a reasonable amount of time. Her recommendation passed on 3-2 vote, with Riley and Hawkins voting against it.

Also at Monday night’s Century Town Council meeting, McCall presented a request from Flomaton for a $1,000 contribution to help fund a July 4 fireworks program in Flomaton. The council took no action on the request after they were unable to locate the funds as being allocated in the annual budget.

In other business Monday night, the Century Town Council:

  • Approved a recommendation by accountant Robert Hudson to require department heads to stick to their budgets or get prior approval from the council before going over budget. Department heads will receive a balance sheet for their departments in the next few days along with a memo outlining the new policy.
  • Approved $600 in airfare for Brooks to attend classes for municipal officers in Sarasota, Florida. The council had previously approved the conference, but Brooks requested to fly, indicating that it would not be much more expensive that $4 a gallon gas to make the 1,100 round trip drive. Driving would have also required the town to pay for one more additional night in a hotel for Brooks.
  • Announced that a military honor wall would be dedicated at 10:00 a.m. on July 4. The wall is located at Roadside Park.
  • Heard from Hawkins, who said information printed recently in the Pensacola News Journal about a $1.78 million loan check from the USDA for infrastructure improvements. The check was ceremonial because the town has not actually entered into the loan agreement, but the Pensacola News Journal reported that the town had received the money, Hawkins said. “We need to get this corrected.”

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News