Fillmore working through utility woes

FILLMORE -- The Fillmore Town Council convened to a nearly full house at its regular meeting Thursday night. The primary concern of the Fillmore residents was the rising utility rates.

As of December 2016, the minimum rate (for zero to 2,000 gallons) applied to any water bill is $31.99. According to Ordinance 2014-7, this rate is set to increase to $33.94 by December 2018.

In part the rates exist to pay Greencastle for the water the town takes from Greencastle because it does not have its own water and sewer system (no plans to install one have been introduced).

But the rates are also to pay for at least two bonds the town took out in 1997 and 1998 to install, connect and repair the Fillmore system to the Greencastle system. The exact amount owed on the bonds will be discovered during a meeting set for this Tuesday among Clerk-Treasurer Tom Gilson, President Curt Leonard and USDA representative John McGee.

Another issue affecting the rates are unpaid utility bills, mostly by tenants and properties with liens, which totaled $65,211 as of last month. Clerk-Treasurer Gilson said after the meeting that an ordinance to prevent unpaid bills by enforcing prompt payment would be introduced and discussed during the next meeting on March 2 at 7 p.m. in the Fillmore Town Hall.

Unpaid utility bills, the need to pay Greencastle and pay off bonds are also why the council decided following an executive session last month that anyone who owns a standing house in Fillmore must pay the sewer bill.

“We have to have so many houses on our sewer system to make it work, make it feasible money-wise,” President Leonard explained, “being that we cannot afford to be taking houses off the sewer system. If the house is completely tore down, then we can do that.”

An audience member commented, “Eighty-some dollars is too much for a sewer,” which received agreement from the rest of the audience and the council itself.

“I won’t argue with you,” President Leonard said. “I pay the same rate.”

Robin Duncan added, “It’s sad.”

President Leonard also said, “That is why it’s so very important that you do not have infiltration in your sewer line. The stormwater goes into it. That makes our whole system go up. That’s why we don’t want people having sump pumps and downspouts hooked up to the sanitary sewer system.”

In answer to a question from the audience, President Leonard said that the flooding on the north end of town would be addressed when the state had more money for storm water grants, such as the one that helped resolve flooding on the south end of town.

In other developments:

-- ADA transition plan: The council is set to adopt the Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan mandated by the federal government at its next meeting on March 2 at 7 p.m. in the Fillmore Town Hall.

-- Claims: The council approved the claims at a total of $21,287.67, a decrease from last month of $22,483.02.

-- Clean up: Town Marshal Darrell Bunten reported that cleaning up the town -- asking residents to dispose of junk and trash in their yards -- was going well, but that he still had a few more homes to visit.

-- Hired: The council approved the hiring of a Fillmore resident to clean the Fillmore Town Hall.

-- Internal control: The council is set to adopt the internal control standards mandated by the State Board of Accounts at its next meeting on March 2 at 7 p.m. in the Fillmore Town Hall.

-- Old ordinances: The council was introduced to four ordinances that had been discussed but never adopted by previous councils. They included a measure to control the “unintentional reproduction” of pets and the placement of mobile homes and trailers. The fourth concerned the Americans with Disabilities Act, which the council will adopt next month. Should the council decide to take action on the other three, it would be during the April 6 regular meeting.

-- Pay raises: The council approved a 3 percent pay increase for the town marshal, deputy and town maintenance director for this year. The council members and Attorney Jeff Boggus refused pay increases. President Leonard said the town would increase the pay raises for those positions again next year.

-- Putnam Street: In answer to a question from Town Maintenance Director Joe Cash, President Leonard answered that Putnam Street, or at least sections of it, would be repaired this spring and that he was collecting bids. Director Cash also said that East Street needed fixing.

-- Utility drop box: Clerk-Treasurer Gilson reported that someone had been caught “playing with” the utility drop box. A police report has been filed, but four payments remain missing and those residents have been contacted. He said the box would be improved to prevent a repeat and that the council might consider installing a camera in the future.

The next Fillmore Town Council meeting will be March 2 at 7 p.m. in the Fillmore Town Hall.