Greene County Democrat

Tag: Chairperson

  • Irate customers complain about high water bills at Greene County Water and Sewer Authority meeting

    By: John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    Over one hundred angry customers crowded the Greene County Courthouse at the  March 26, 2024, meeting of the Greene County Water and Sewer Authority to complain that their most recent March bills were too high.

    The three-member board of David Bailey – Union, Chairperson, William Morgan – Dollarhide, and Walter Beck – Forkland, were present. Vincent Atkins, staff manager for the authority and other staff were present.

    They first heard a report from Ed Morris, Sentell Engineering, about two major grant projects, each for $900,000 or more, from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for improvements and expansions of the water and sewer systems. These grants are part of President Biden’s Infrastructure Improvement Act funding.

    After the engineering report, people in the audience began complaining about recent high water bills they received for the month of March. Christine Carter of Tishabee Community said she received a bill for $787.40 for thousands of gallons of water, when her usual bill is around $80, never over a $100 a month. Marvin Childs said his parents bill in Mt. Hebron Community was $742 for two months and the volume of water used increased from 1,200 to 36,000 gallons. Ms. Blanche Williams was charged over $300 for 29,000 gallons for 53 days. She said, she paid her bill, but her usual bill was around $30 per month.

    Willie Austin of the Forkland area said most of the people who got outrageously high bills were senior citizens of low income, living on fixed incomes that could not afford to pay the bills and the Board needed to do something about this problem.

    Vincent Atkins and David Bailey, Board Chair, tried to explain the situation. Atkins said that the Water Authority was having difficulties with the electronic interface between the meters and the computer at the office.
    Because of these problems, the Authority decided to read the meters manually for the March bills. New self-reporting meters have been ordered.

    Atkins said he would meet with customers individually and adjust their bills based on each person’s individual usage records. Some of the meter readings may reflect leaks or water left running during cold weather to keep pipes from freezing. Because of problems with the meters, some customers may have gotten a lower base rate bill, for the past few months, until their meter could be manually read, which could account for some of the increases. The Authority’s base rate for water is $23.71 for the first 2,000 gallons and $3.55 for each additional 1,000 gallons.

    Board member William Morgan moved and Board member Walter Beck, seconded a motion, “That the Board null and void all March bills from the Greene County Water Authority.” Morgan said he was going to follow-up this motion with a motion to send new bills to all customers for the lower flat rates they had been paying.

    Chair Bailey, after consulting with Barrown Lankster, Legal Counsel for the Authority, who was also present ruled the motion to “null and void all bills” as an illegal motion. Bailey said, “Our attorney has advised that we cannot provide public services – in this case – water, for free. We must charge for the water we provide as a public utility.”

    In a subsequent interview, Bailey and Atkins said that 80% of the March bills from 1,400 customers had been already paid. To invalidate all the bills would have been a problem. Atkins said he would meet with customers who had a problem with their bills and adjust them based on usage records.

    Board Chairperson Bailey never entertained the motion to null and void all bills because he felt it was illegal. He tried to get Morgan to withdraw the motion or discuss it in an Executive Session, but Morgan refused to withdraw his motion. Attorney Lankster offered to seek an Attorney General’s opinion if the motion was legal.

    Near the end of the three-hour meeting, which began at 6:00 PM, Morgan announced that since he and Beck were in favor of the motion and since there were only three voting members of the Board, that his motion had been passed. Morgan proclaimed that his motion and others to send out new lower bills and reprimand Atkins for insubordination had been passed by the Board.

    In an interview after the meeting, Bailey said,” Morgan’s motion was illegal. I knew in my heart it was the wrong thing to do. Customers who want to dispute their bills are encouraged to see our staff and get their bills adjusted and sign up for a payment plan if they are unable to pay their total bill.”

  • Greene County Commission holds regular meeting; votes to require Sheriff Benison to meet financial commitments to retain staff

    The Greene County Commission held its regular monthly meeting on May 11, 2020, at 3:00 PM in the Greene County courtroom. The Commissioners and audience maintained six feet social distancing requirements and most wore masks. Four commissioners: Allen Turner, Chairperson, Lester Brown, Roshonda Summerville, and Corey Cockrell, were present, with Tennyson Smith absent.
    Most of the meeting, including a lengthy closed Executive Session, was devoted to the issue of getting Greene County Sheriff, Joe Benison, to meet his financial commitment to the county budget, to pay additional staff above the basic staff included in the budget for deputies, jailers and other staff.
    The Sheriff and the County Commission negotiated an agreement at the beginning of the year, for the Sheriff to reimburse the County for additional staffing above the basic staff included in the regular budget. The Sheriff agreed to pay these additional staff, who are on the County payroll, out of funding he receives monthly in fees from electronic bingo operators.
    For the past two months since the beginning of March, the electronic bingo establishments in Greene County have been closed due to the coronavirus and no bingo machine fees have been paid by bingo operators to governmental, educational, healthcare and other charitable recipients, including the Sheriff’s Department, which oversees bingo under local Constitutional Amendment 743.
    After the Commission’s Executive Session, the members voted to contact Sheriff Benison to require payment of the funds due under the budgetary agreement or terminate the additional staff, who are listed in an attachment to the agreement.
    The Commission further agreed that the Sheriff could substitute and amend the list of names of staff to be reduced, but not the number, based on current conditions.
    Another topic discussed at the meeting was to consider a 4 mil increase in property taxes that could be approved locally without the action of the Legislature. This discussion arose because the prior proposed 5 mil increase in property taxes, which included 3 mils for the hospital and 2 mils for the County and other agencies, was not submitted by the Legislative delegation for approval.
    State representatives A. J. McCampbell and Ralph Howard, as well as State Senator Bobby Singleton, said that since only three of Greene County’s five commissioners signed the 5 mil request, they would not submit the proposal to the Legislature’s local legislation committee. They say their policy is to only move forward with local legislation that is unanimously supported by all County Commissioners. Commissioners Tennyson Smith and Lester Brown did not sign the petition for the 5 mil increase.
    If the 5 mil proposal had passed the Legislature it was still subject to a referendum by all voters in Greene County, probably at the November General Election.
    Commission Chair Allen Turner said he learned that the County Commission may be able to support up to a four mil increase in property taxes, under special circumstances, without Legislative approval. The County Commission tabled this item, to seek more information to determine if this is a feasible route to generate more revenues and support for the hospital and other county agencies.
    In other actions, the County Commission approved a financial report, payment of current bills and claims and a travel request for the Assistant Engineer to attend a June 10-11 training in Prattville, Alabama