HIGHFILL -- Water rates in Highfill for the new year will remain the same in 2018, thanks to an ordinance adopted by the Highfill City Council on Dec. 12.
With rules suspended and an emergency clause attached, the council adopted the ordinance on three readings, with its emergency clause, to prevent an automatic increase in water rates from going into effect on Jan. 1. The built-in increase would have been 5 percent, but the ordinance suspends the increase for 2018.
According to James "Butch" Wiand, the city's water and sewer department supervisor, the number of users has increased and there is a promise of more growth due to new housing development in the city. He said the department is moving toward being self-sustaining and he felt the automatic increase was not necessary.
Wiand said Highfill's water rates are currently in the midrange of rates charged by other area cities. He said suspending the automatic rate increase was the recommendation of the city's water board.
And the council agreed, passing the ordinance to suspend the increase by unanimous vote. The council has taken similar action in past years.
Also passed by the council was a resolution appointing Stacie Williamson to another term on the city's planning commission and board of adjustments. It passed by a 5-1 vote, with Roger Hill voting no.
A prepared resolution to adopt a budget for 2018 was tabled until council members could study amendments to the proposed budget. Included in the proposed new budget is a 3 percent pay increase for all city employees but the mayor.
Stacy Digby, Highfill's mayor, reported that the state had approved the city's application to have the community building, once a local school building, added to the National Register of Historic Places. Digby said he was scheduled to meet with a representative of the National Register this week.
The city has been working to restore the building as close as possible to its original state.
General News on 12/20/2017