City Not Intending To Do Future Water Bill Favors

The water bill adjustment made by the West Tawakoni City Council for a citizen earlier this month likely will not be repeated.

Tuesday, several council members voiced their desire to draw up a council resolution taking the city out of that practice.

"We need to do something to set a policy where that doesn’t come up again," council member Carol Welch said.

The issue came up as Lisa Arnold questioned the council’s decision on resident Donald Davis’ request for help on a water bill that had sharply increased in one month.

Arnold said she had earlier requested an adjustment for a large water bill for her grandson, who is now in military service and stationed in North Dakota.

"I came before the council back in March about my grandson’s water bill and asked for help. The council put it off…no action was ever taken on it. Then I read the council has reduced the bill for another man," Arnold said.

She added that her son is continuing a payout agreement of $50 per month with $250 remaining on the balance.

West Tawakoni Mayor Pete Yoho defended the council’s decision in the other case, saying the city lagged in alerting the homeowner to a problem after it was discovered.

"In that case, the council felt the need to accept the responsibility that even though the city had made notification that he had a problem, it took 15 days to make that known to him," Mayor Pete Yoho said.

Yoho later added that although some contracted meter readers will alert the city office to a potential problem, it is not part of their expected job duties.

"The city cannot be held responsible beyond the (water) meter. Ideally, we would like to notify a customer if we see their bill is too high (over the average), but all that can really be offered is a payment program," he said.

The council took no action. City administrator Cloy Richards noted that Arnold’s request to speak to the council was only to discuss its earlier action on the matter of Davis’ account.

Also on Tuesday, the council approved an amendment to the city’s personnel manual that provides for a standard medical practitioner’s release form.

The form will be required to be filled out and signed in cases of an employee returning to work after injury or illness of two working days or more.

The amendment also allows the city to require a physical by a physician of its choice, and at its expense, before the employee resumes regular duties.

The amendment passed by a 4-0 vote with council member Candy Schultz abstaining due to conflict of interest.

A special called meeting for July 15 at 6 p.m. was set to discuss and act on the city’s 2008-2009 budget.

In his administrator’s report, Richards said the city was "going into the final push" on completion of the water plant project. He added that it looked as though funds would be available to do painting work on the ground storage tank and the old water plant building.

Richards also reported that problems had developed in a couple of valves at one of the wastewater lift stations.

"It had not been secured when we got out there. The doghouses were not installed," he said, referring to the protective structures for the pumps.