Small Town News

City to file liens against delinquent water users

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City of New Meadows

The City of New Meadows sent out 30 letters last month to residents who have become delinquent in paying for their city water services. Half of those residents have made the arrangements to make- the payments, but the other half have not responded.

According to City Clerk Mac Quails, the next step is for the city to place a property lien with the County Treasurer, which will force the deadbeat

Tvater users to pay their bills along with their property taxes...plus a $100 service fee for the effort. Quails says that delinquent accounts have until Monday, July 27 to make their payments to avoid such a fate.

The City of New Meadows, unlike the City of Council, does not have pro visions in their water ordinance to shut down service because of nonpayment, a factor which Jias led to a larger number of customers who don't pay. According to; G"ouncil City Clerk Hollie Russell, after two months of nonpayment, Council residents see their water shut off, which almost always has them forking over their past due balances within a day or two.

Possible new ordinances

The city will soon dis-jcuss the possibility of adding an ordinance that requires those who are recapturing foreclosed homes to continue paying for water, sewer and electricity service.

The new ordinance would give the city the power to go after foreclosed home owners that literally abandon their homes after confiscating them from the original owner. Quails said there are a number of such homes in the city that are horribly maintained, with no effort to care for the lawns or other general upkeep, and such a situation is troubling to neighbors and to anyone that might want to move into the city.

The city also is likely to consider an ordinance that deals with Fourth of July fireworks in the wake of an unfortunate pyrotechnic explosion that caused some minor injuries during the unofficial city firework celebration on the night of the Fourth. The ordinance would clear up



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