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Show Mobile home residents seek lower water rates By TOM HARALDSEN CENTERVILLE City council coun-cil did something unusual recently when it held a relatively short council meeting. With few items on the agenda, councilmen adjourned before 11 p.m. Debate did continue, however, regarding rates being charged for culinary water to mobile home parks and other residential areas using four-inch meters. Two weeks ago, Rulon and Ves-til Ves-til Harrison, owners of a mobile home park in Centerville, approached council seeking a lowering low-ering of water rates. They pointed out that a state statute passed in 1982 prohibits cities from making a larger percentage of return on water wa-ter rates from mobile home parks than from regular residences; The Harrison's contention is that the city saves money by sending send-ing out only one water bill monthly, instead of 49 to each individual mobile home owner, and that the Harrisons are further saving the city money by maintaining the water wa-ter system. City staff sought legal counsel from attorney Keith Stahle, who responded that while the statute has yet to be tested in court, it does seem to indicate that inequities in the billing practices need to be addressed. During the recent council meeting, meet-ing, councilman Michael Barton reported that city officials had studied stu-died the practices, including costs related to replacing an inoperative meter in the mobile home park. His feeling was that the city needed to make some sort of adjustment to the Harrisons, to come into compliance com-pliance with the law. Other members of the council expressed a somewhat opposing view, feeling that the law would not solve inequity, but could cause it. Councilman Kent Lindsey stated he felt any adjustment should be made across the board, not just to the four-inch meter users us-ers in the mobile home park. Director Direc-tor of Public Works Randy Randall said both Pheasantbrook and Cedar Springs were on similar systems, sys-tems, as well as one industrial business busi-ness and several schools. "Why shouldn't the other residential units un-its be treated the same?" he asked. Councilman Doug Nielsen told his peers "We're looking at this all wrong. We're serving one customer custom-er here, the Harrisons, not 49. We sell them the water and they distribute distri-bute it however they want." Vestil Harrison was in attendance attend-ance at the latest meeting, expressing express-ing his concern that the city was ignoring the law, and its intent. After Af-ter about 45 minutes of debate, including in-cluding the item coming up again later in the meeting, staff was directed to prepare a short comparison com-parison of water rates for the other two housing developments, along with economic impact and cost savings involved if rates were lowered lo-wered to four-inch meter users. In other council business, the city has adopted the 1987 edition of the National Electrical Code as its building code, and council voted unanimously to reappoint Jerald L. Jensen as Justice of the Peace for a four year term beginning Feb. 1. Judge Jensen took over the robes of that office in September, filling the unexpired term of retired JP James Parrish. Council participated on a one hour tour of the city complex to help familiarize new councilmen Barton and Nancy Gibbs with the facility. |