Jackson hosting hearings on small utility-rate increase

The city of Jackson will hold two public hearings before its next board of aldermen meeting Monday, inviting residents to voice opinions on a small service-utilities rate increase and the abandonment of two small parcels of land.

The new utilities are part of the city’s 2017 budget, which will go before the board for approval Monday as well.

“The sewer, water and electric rates are going to be adjusted by 0.7 percent, based on the Missouri State Tax Commission’s consumer price index,” Jackson city administrator Jim Roach said. “[That] was published back in the summer, I think back in April; we use that as the annual adjustment.”

The city’s rates for trash collection will remain the same.

The second hearing will concern two streets that exist only on paper, West Madison and West Monroe streets. Each street is 250 feet long and between South Union Avenue and Hubble Creek.

Public works director Rodney Bollinger said the two right-of-way segments recently were discovered after having been considered vacated already.

“A recent survey and title report revealed the right of way for both streets to be existing and unimproved,” Bollinger said via email. “However, Cape County Mapping and Appraisal records indicate these rights of way as vacated.”

Bollinger also said during the survey, the title report for the subject properties showed no recorded ordinances or other documents vacating the rights of way.

Thompson Family Enterprises, which owns one of the two adjacent properties, filed the formal request for abandonment.

The motion to abandon the properties will go before the board for approval during the regular board session after the public hearings.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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