DECATUR -- Mayor Bob Tharp convened the Decatur City Council into an emergency session at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22, to discuss the city's water and sewer rates for industrial customers. Tharp said the city has an opportunity to sustain a business relationship with Simmons, a current industrial customer, and that Simmons hopes to increase its consumption of water and its sewer use by more than 20 percent.
The meeting was prompted by a Simmons request that the city review rates for industrial customers using large amounts of water in their business operations.
The council passed, by resolution, its intent to lower the water and sewer rates in support of such large-scale customers.
"The action taken by the council today will generate continued income at the same level we receive now for the city of Decatur while reducing costs for one of our long-standing business customers who needs the lower cost to make a critical business decision for the future," Tharp said. "Our goal is to keep businesses in Northwest Arkansas specific to Decatur. We have a lot of work to finalize this adjustment. There will be public hearings, ordinance review and an agreement with Two-Ton Water District regarding the availability of water at a location to be announced."
Tharp thanked the council, which was 100 percent in attendance, for its support and apologized for his short notice for the meeting.
General News on 09/27/2017