Falkville approves 4% water rate hike
Clif Knight
Hartselle Enquirer
Falkville Council approved a 4% across-the-board water rate increase at a regular meeting Oct. 3. It was made effective Oct. 4.
The adjustment is in response to a similar increase imposed by the East Lawrence and West Morgan Water Authority, effective Oct. 1. The town also purchases water from Hartselle Utilities.
Town officials discussed the cost of providing potable water to its residents at a work session on Sept. 26, at which time a consensus was reached to pass on the 4% increase
the town received from one of its two suppliers.
“I have talked with HU management and they have no plans to change the rates we’re paying at the present time,” Mayor Ken Winkles reported.
Under the new rate schedule, residential customers will be charged $17.01, or about 65 cents more per gallon on the first 2,000 gallons or less they use per month. For each additional 1,000 galloons they use, they will pay $4.39.
Commercial customers will be charged $29.94 for the first 3,000 gallon or less that they use and $4.39 for the next 11,000 gallons.
The town’s business license ordinance was amended to comply with a new state law regarding the issuance of licenses to persons delivering goods within the municipal limits or police jurisdiction. It changes the criteria under which such a license may be issued.
The governing body also accepted a quote from Trigreen Equipment for a John Deere 3046R utility tractor in the amount of $38,418.81, less a $6,000 trade-in for a used tractor. Mayor Ken Winkles was authorized to secure financing from the The Bancorp for 72 months with monthly payments of $646 each.
The council acted on other matters as follows:
•Approved the training of Police Officer Cody Hudgins and Capt. Aaron Burgess at an AG Law Enforcement Summit in Montgomery on Oct. 17 at no cost to the town
•Approved Master Officer training for K-9 Officer Vaughn Lambert in Florence on Oct. 18 at a cost of $50
•Approved training for Police Chief Chris Free and Assistant Volunteer Fire Chief Lance Stidham in Incident Response to Terrorist Bombing in New Mexico Oct. 23-26 at no cost to the town
•Approved the reappointment of Jane Hill to the Falkville Library Board