News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Celina Board of Aldermen tabled a provision to the town’s leak insurance Tuesday that would provide a payment plan for extreme leak events.
Mayor Luke Collins said he presented the provision for fixed income residents that opted out of leak insurance.
“Some of them may only pull a few hundred dollars a month, and if they were to have a water bill of several hundred dollars because of a leak and they don’t have a leak insurance,” Collins said. “I would hate to have to turn the water off.”
The proposed amendment would give customers 10 months to pay off a water leak. Each month, 10 percent and a penalty would be added to the regular monthly bill until the leak was paid.
Alderman Kenny Westmoreland motioned to table the matter after resident Lydia Smith raised concerns during the Tuesday meeting. Smith said the Aldermen need to have a “serious discussion” to answer two questions. What defines a major a leak and how would the town collect the money if someone were to move.
“I’m challenging you all that I think very serious discussion needs to go into this that hasn’t gone into this in the past, which is why we are in this situation with the water,” Smith said. “I also say that you have the insurance. It’s just like car insurance. I can cancel my car insurance, but if I hit somebody, I am liable to pay that. So if these people are opting out, it’s only a dollar something on my bill.”
Celina’s leak insurance coverage recently passed and adds about $1.90 to each monthly bill to benefit. The same provision was tabled last month for the same reason, a lack of appropriate verbiage.
In other business, the Celina Board of Aldermen approved a pay raise for ambulance employees. Celina’s estimated investment some $17,000 this year. The county approved a $18,000 payment to the city to assist in the pay increase. The raise would be retroactive to January 1. The increase comes to roughly $1 per hour for employees, not including benefits.
