DEVELOPERS PROTEST CITY'S WATER HOOKUP FEE

SCOTT CITY -- An agreement that would have saved a developer $35,500 as he eventually placed as many as 80 homes on the city's water system was scrapped Monday night by the city council.

Councilman Rodney Holloway introduced an agreement that would have allowed Orley and Betty Jackson to install one master water meter, at a cost of $500, for their subdivision instead of a $500 meter for each of the 80 homes they plan on building.

The Jacksons have already completed construction of six houses in their subdivision which is located just outside the Scott City limits.

Councilman J.T. Gulley, who is chairman of the public works committee, voted against the measure, saying he didn't feel it was appropriate to make exceptions for one water user.

"According to city ordinance, every outside water user that hooks up to our water has to pay a $500 tapping fee," Gulley said. "If he puts 50 houses or 60 houses, he wants to pay a one-time fee of $500 for his whole subdivision. That's not how our city ordinance reads."

The city council raised the hook-up rate to $2,500 last year, touching off a storm of protest from a group of rural water users. That was resolved for the most part when Gulley and the public works committee met with each individual rural water user and came up with a compromise.

The council lowered the rate to $500 per user in March and signed new contracts with many of the water users.

Betty Jackson said at that time that the council had promised her verbally that the rate would be reduced to $250. She protested the new hook up rate and said at she was going to bring suit against the city.

After this latest failed attempt to get an agreement through, Jackson said again that she would be in contact with her attorney, Jim Green of Sikeston.

"We brought everybody together and worked out everybody's problems," Jackson said of the compromise public works developed in March. "But they just don't want to work with us."

Jackson said even though construction is continuing in the subdivision, they will not be able to sell any homes or move anyone in until the water issue is settled. She said the dispute with the city over this issue has stalled the development for almost two years.

"What it boils down to is they just don't want us to have the water," Jackson said.