About Town

DECATUR -- At this time of year, our country finds thankfulness with the Thanksgiving Season, excitement with the celebration of Christmas and hope for a better year with the advent of a new year.

Our world seems to be so different than when I was a child in that everyone has a thought which becomes a position, and that position becomes a campaign which, when expressed, creates hurt and damages relationships that historically have been so precious to many.

In our corner of the world, Decatur finds itself in a position of differing thoughts.

The poultry industry has decades of history in Decatur. During the past nearly 10 years, Simmons Prepared Foods has operated the processing plant in Decatur. Before that, the operation was owned and operated by Lloyd Peterson. After Mr. Peterson's death, Simmons purchased the Company. Simmons has continued to operate the liquid propane gas company and feed mill, which are in Decatur's city limits. A few years ago, Simmons built a new pet food plant. The processing plant only has 700 employees and 20 percent of those employees live in Decatur.

Simmons has proposed the construction of a new processing plant outside of Decatur's city limits. The processing plant in Decatur is more than six decades old and is in need of replacement. Simmons' first choice was to build inside the city, but no land was obtainable. Further study, for building in the city, presented an alternative, but that would have impacted and necessitated the relocation of several city streets.

What is the interest of the city of Decatur in Simmons' proposal to build a new plant? Where Simmons chooses to continue operations impacts the city of Decatur enormously. The wastewater plant is a huge issue with potentially devastating results if the city were to lose Simmons as a customer.

In 2003, in a ruling from a lawsuit filed by Tulsa, Okla., the city of Decatur was ordered by that lawsuit to replace its wastewater plant and built the current wastewater processing plant. The new plant is about 10 years old and is considered state of the art and cost the city several million dollars to construct. The debt for this plant is still large and the city pays on it every month. To accommodate growth and stay in state compliance, last year the city council voted to update this plant to better and improved output standards with significant upgrade costs that increased monthly payments. The city has a significant debt for the wastewater processing plant. The debt is paid with charges to customers. The customer rates are established by ordinance that guarantees the city's ability to pay federal bonds. The ordinance sets rates -- keeping the city within state law guidelines -- for debt repayment ratio known as "coverage." As a city customer, you pay water and, if available at your location, wastewater every month in addition to trash service, etc. That revenue stream pays for the debt on our wastewater plant. This includes all residential customers, industrial customers and the city of Centerton. Total payments for the old, plus upgraded plant, exceed $100,000 every month.

During the past months, beginning March 24, evaluation of Simmons' choice for locating a new processing plant has been of great concern to me and the city council. I have been involved in regular meetings with Simmons since March of this year.

Where Simmons rebuilds is of extreme importance to your city, because we need to provide sewer service to Simmons so we can pay our debt without raising user rates.

Some people have said to me, what happens if Simmons relocates outside the Decatur area? If that were to happen and we no longer have our largest industrial customer, cost of water and sewer will be impacted by rate increases.

Other people have asked me what happens if Simmons stays in Decatur? It's a real easy answer and it is no rate change plus we build our wastewater plant to the new capacity that is needed. Decatur must continue providing wastewater sewer services to Simmons Foods, bottom line! This is a must for our city.

My goal, as your mayor, has been to ensure that we can continue being a wastewater process provider for Simmons Prepared Foods.

I have not released the borrowed funds to upgrade the wastewater plant -- as I mentioned before -- while I wait to confirm Simmons will continue to be our customer, wherever that may be. When I know definitely that Simmons will relocate the processing plant at a location where Decatur can service its wastewater sewer needs, then I will release the funds. Twelve months from that date, our upgrade will be completed and is substantial enough to handle all flows from all our customers with no rate increase.

What is critical for you to know if you are a current Decatur water and or wastewater customer:

If Simmons locates where the city of Decatur is not the wastewater/sewer processing provider, your water and/or sewer rates will change. Sewer rates are primarily in the city, while water is both inside and outside city limits. And, yes, all rates would be impacted. Estimations have been confirmed by the certified engineering company that rates could increase as much as 95 percent.

If Simmons locates where the city of Decatur will be the wastewater/sewer processing provider, your water sewer rates will not change.

As I conclude my thoughts to you, Citizens of Decatur and surrounding areas, please recognize that these thoughts are to the city of Decatur and its water and wastewater customers.

I have not addressed anything but facts, and those facts will impact my town and its customers. I have not spoken of a specific location; that is not for me to talk about.

I have not spoken my opinion, rather shared with you the facts of the situation the city of Decatur finds itself dealing with now.

As the mayor of Decatur, I have taken an oath to uphold the laws of our town and manage the city. To Decatur water and wastewater customers, I have given you the information you need.

Working together, Decatur is doing awesome things!

Bob Tharp

Mayor of Decatur

Editorial on 12/20/2017