In a special called meeting Thursday, January 16 the Natchez village council failed to take action on the only item on the agenda, proposed sewer rate increases of $20.00 per month for residential service and $34.00 per month for commercial service bringing the rates to to $40.00 and $62.00 per month respectively.
The motion to approve ordinance 012-2024 was moved by Alderwoman Shelia Johnson. As neither Alderwoman Monique Sarpy nor Alderman McKinley Hoover seconded the motion, the motion died for lack of a second.
Before the vote was taken, the mayor, aldermen and capacity audience of concerned citizens heard from special guest Ms. Traci Watts of the Louisiana Office of Community Development – Local Government Assistance who drove to the meeting from Baton Rouge. Ms. Watts reiterated the need for the rate study to ensure that the sewer system will have the funds to be self-supporting and be able to have the funds available to be able to maintain the system. She stated that should the increase not be enacted; the system would lack the funds to operate the new sewage plant and that the agency would have to demand that Natchez return the $1.600,000.00 grant that funded the new sewage plant. Should the village not repay the grant, the matter would be turned over to the LA Attorney General for collection action. Ms. Susan Robbins and Mr. Ken Terry of the Louisiana Rural Water Association both spoke as well, bringing up the same points. Ms. Watts stated that complying with the rate study is a condition of the grant and cannot be waived.
The Natchez sewer system has been plagued over the years by a large portion of non-paying customers, illegal hookups and the aging and increasingly decrepit system the new plant is to replace. Sewage rates have not been raised in 35 years. Mayor Hoover stated that the sewage account currently has a bit less than $3,000.00, not enough to close out the old oxidation pond and run the new plant.
At this time, it is unclear what the next steps will be, or what the timeline is on the $1.6 million dollar grant being reclaimed. This situation will also seriously damage the village’s ability to obtain future grants.
