Caledonia residents are beginning to feel the impact of a water and sewer rate hike which went into effect June 1, but limited relief for some may be on the way.
The board of aldermen Tuesday unanimously approved Water Superintendent Benny Coleman’s request for a seasonal rate adjustment for customers filling swimming pools.
Under the recently implemented rate increase, residential customers within the city limits pay a sewer rate equal to 50 percent of their water bill and commercial customers pay a sewer rate that is 100 percent of their water bill.
But Coleman said because swimming pool water is not discharged into the sewer system, it should not be part of the sewer bill. Coleman proposed the water department visit residential customers with pools to measure the volume of water used and make the necessary bill adjustments.
Coleman said he believes 10 to 15 of the 354 residential and commercial water customers will benefit from the seasonal adjustment.
The summer discount won’t help two Caledonia residents, who expressed their displeasure about the rate hike during Tuesday night’s meeting.
Resident Jerry Brackin said his water and sewer bill jumped from around $22 last month to $69, which he called “unreasonable” and “out of touch.”
“I’m thinking this is like (President Barack) Obama’s Cabinet up here,” Brackin said. “When I get behind, I have to cut back … $69 is a little much for two people. I don’t have a pool or kids.”
Resident Charles Underhill, who has lambasted the aldermen at previous meetings over the issue, agreed.
“I’m like Jerry,” Underhill told the board. “This place is beginning to sound like Washington, passing the buck.”
Coleman said Brackin’s request to discontinue sewer service with the city is not possible due to state requirements that all customers be tapped into municipalities’ sewer system if one is available.
One solution is to use well water for crop irrigation, swimming pools and other water-intensive activities which are not discharged into the sewer, Coleman said.
In other news, the board approved a $31,000 budget presented by Caledonia Days co-chairman Susan Bell. The town will contribute $1,075 to the annual event, which will take place in October.
The festival committee will appear before the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors board of trustees July 6 to request a grant of up to $15,000 for Caledonia Days.
Festival funding has been a hot-button topic at recent CVB meetings, with some board members saying there is not enough money this year to fund many longtime favorites.
Organizers for Juneteenth and the Market Street Festival saw their CVB grant funding slashed recently amid budget concerns. Last month, Legends committee member Steve Rogers withdrew the committee’s request for a grant, citing lack of full support from the CVB.
But Bell was undaunted.
“It helped us tremendously last year,” she said. “If everybody in the county can have it, why not us?”
She also invited Mayor George Gerhart and the aldermen to attend committee meetings.
“This is your town, your day to shine,” she said. “We can’t divide and conquer.”
The board also took the following actions Tuesday night:
n Voted to allow Town Attorney Jeff Smith to send a resolution to the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors for the clearing of a ditch on North Church Street;
n Voted to pay $50 a month to have town hall and its front sidewalk cleaned twice a month;
n Voted to reimburse Town Clerk Judy Whitcomb for expenses incurred during a conference she will attend in Jackson Sept. 5-7;
n Heard a proposal from Alderman Bill Darnell, who asked for a committee to examine a Safe Routes to School sidewalk grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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