Despite no change in rates or increased water usage, some residents of North Lewisburg may see an increase on their utility bills in the coming months.
The reason is that the residents were being improperly billed, on the low end, due to faulty metering equipment.
“You got a break,” Village Water and Sewer Superintendent Trevor Clark said. “You just didn’t know it.”
Clark told village council Tuesday night that he is in the process of switching over numerous water meters in the village which aren’t working properly. About 50 meters have been switched over so far, with a total of up to 300 needing to be replaced.
Clark said residents with malfunctioning meters were billed at the village’s base rate for water and sewer usage, $60. He said once new meters are installed, those resident will be billed for actual usage which could lead to an increase in the amount.
Clark said some people have already complained about a bump in their bill after months at $60. Village Fiscal Officer Jennifer McCombs added that the village is not seeking to audit for improperly billed usage, meaning residents will not face additional charges because of the faulty meters.
Council member Robin Street suggested that the village explain the situation thoroughly on the next utility bill mailing.
Clark also said that recent corrective work should have fixed the standing water issues experienced by residents of Townsend Street. He said there are a few other problems to be corrected farther up the drainage line but once those issues are fixed it should alleviated a great deal of the flooding issues in the village.
Village Administrator Andy Yoder brought to council a contract for mosquito spraying from A1-Able. The company will spray twice a month and will apply treatments to retention ponds in the village once a month to keep mosquito numbers down.
Spraying will cost $230 per application while pond treatments will cost $150 per occurrence.
Council approved the contract by a 6-0 vote.
In other business, council:
•Agreed to transfer $100,000 in investment funds into a Richwood Bank CD at a rate of .37% for one year. An additional $157,000 in funds will be rolled into a similar CD in the coming month.
•Learned from Yoder that the village is finalizing a list of projects for a Community Development Block Grant application.
•Heard from Village Police Chief Scott Bodey that officer are stepping up enforcement of traffic laws in the village. He also reported that his office has heard of increased drug use in the village and will be using tactics to combat it.
•Learned from Bodey that repair fees on village police cruisers are starting to add up and he is looking into the possibility of leasing a new vehicle in the future.
•Heard Mayor Cheryl Hollingsworth remind residents not to blow grass clippings into the street. The mayor also noted that a group of area fourth graders will be spending Apil 29 cleaning up the village ball park.