By Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

 

Columbus Town Council heard from a resident during its February meeting who expressed concern over the cost of utility bills at Ashley Meadows.

Vicki Case said she currently pays $34 a month for her water bill at a residence but is considering moving to Ashley Meadows where the bill will be a minimum of $93.06 for water and sewer service.

Case said Ashley Meadows is low-income housing.

“I want to know why?” Case asked.

She said low-income housing is for people who can’t afford to pay for a house and it’s not right to then be charged such an outrageous water bill.

Case said there’s no way one person, in her situation she and her granddaughter, could use 3,000 gallons worth of water a month.

“And to pay that kind of water bill,” she said. “I don’t understand it.”

Case also said from what she understands Ashley Meadows has bent over backwards for the town to change the rates because they know the people living there do good to pay the rent. Case said if a residence has 5-6 people living there they are struggling to feed, clothe and pay doctor bills for their children and “don’t need a water bill that’s knocking on 100 bucks.”

Case, who works full-time, also said she could stay in the house she currently lives in but she can’t afford to fix what’s wrong with it so that’s why she’s moving.

“But I don’t want to be out there with not enough money to stay, partly because of the water bill that’s so ridiculous,” said Case.

Columbus Mayor Eric McIntyre said Ashley Meadows is outside the city limits and pay outside city limit rates. McIntyre also addressed Case saying she was told by a town employee that some people living outside are paying inside rates.

“All I can say and I promise you, we will investigate that,” McIntyre said. “If there has been a mistake made and we made it, we will correct it.”

McIntyre also said Ashley Meadows has approached the town in the past to be annexed into the city limits, which is the only way to lower the rates. McIntyre said the majority of the council at the time of the annexation request voted not to annex Ashley Meadows.

McIntyre said other than Ashley Meadows being annexed inside city limits, there’s nothing the town can do about the rates because the town can’t set a precedent by just changing the rates of one place.

Columbus Town Manager Tim Barth said the town will check the billing to make sure everyone outside the city limits is paying the outside rate.

Columbus and other towns base their water rates on whether a parcel is inside the city limits or outside the city limits. Town Clerk Devon Gosnell said Columbus does not have separate rates for apartments and that they fall under either inside or outside residential rates. Rates also depend on the services provided, such as water service, sewer service and/or garbage service.

Gosnell said not everyone pays the same rate at Ashley Meadows, the rates depend on how much water a customer uses per month just like any other customer. The base rate for water and sewer service is $93.06 per month ($36.64 for the base water, $53.02 for the base sewer and a $3.40 per month water line user fee) for using 3,000 gallons per month or less.

Rates for inside city limit residential customers include an $18.32 base rate for water, $26.51 base rate for sewer, the same $3.40 water line user fee and $12 for garbage service. If Ashley Meadows were to be annexed into Columbus Town Limits in the future, each customer’s base rate, using 3,000 gallons a month of water or less, would be $60.23, assuming garbage service would also be included.