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Show WapleTesc3ent refuses tfo pay 0 wafer Vernal City turned the water oi Wednesday, Dec. 19 at the home of Dr-a Gaylon Cook, geologist, newly elected j trustee of the Ashley Valley Water and Sewer Improvement District, because of his refusal to pay a $367 water bill. Dr. Cook refuses to pay the $367 water bill, half of his bill since Jan. '78, he feels it is unjust that he should pay double dou-ble the water rate of Vernal City . residents The Naples resident claims that as a beneficiary of the 1961 Naples Culinary Water contract, the city is required to supply him and his neighbors with water at a rate which is "fair, just and reasonable," the language of the con- a. !e is investigating the possibility of a suit to require the city to treat the 'e in the Naples area on the same as it treats other users of the ystem. thrnplaint is similar to a previous Vain suit last July by the Ashley Distrop and Sewer Improvement 1961 cut the same contract. The Naples turned to Vernal City the to opera-ystem and holds the city in the Nathe benefit of the people In anotRa. 1979, the citract, signed Jan. 29, ses to reveiw its rate schedule tor water users outside the ci- ty and make adjustment as ap- j, propriate. I After receiving two water bills, $179 and $247 for water service to his home last summer, Dr. Cook delivered a writ- ill ten complaint describing his feelings )) about the high water rate to the city, (! but his letter was lost. Later Dr. Cook's complaints were heard in a lengthy , meeting with Shane Luck, city manager. During the meeting, Dr. Cook pointed out the unfairness of paying high water Jj bills when the water system is making " (Continued on Page 16) Naples resident - - - (Continued from Page 1) the substantial profit shown in the financial statements of Vernal City over the past years. Luck told Dr. Cook that a rate study is being made, and corrections will be made accordingly. "After a month of waiting," said Dr. Cook, claiming he should not be required re-quired to pay more than the amount charged to city residents, "I decided to pay one-half of my water bill." The day the city turned Cook's water off, Gene Anfinson, council member, moved in the regular council meeting that the water be turned back on until after the holidays to allow Cook time to come in and talk to the council. The council moved not to turn Dr. Cook's water back on because they felt he should be treated as any other person per-son who doesn't pay his bill and they (three councilmen voting against An-finson's An-finson's motion) felt that Luck had explained ex-plained the matter fully to Dr. Cook. Before the councilmen voted, two attempts at-tempts were made by Ken Bassett, assistant city manager, to contact Dr. Cook so he could state his view to the council, but he was not available. |
