Monterey Mayor Says Private Companies Still Using Town Water Without Paying For It

Monterey, VA – According to Mayor Janice Warner, the Town of Monterey is still dealing with the matter of companies working in the county taking thousands of gallons of town water without permission. Both Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative and B and S Contracting Company of Staunton, Virginia have been using town water this summer. B and S Contracting Company has been paving county roads. Mike Isles, Town Maintenance Director, pointed out that the town needs to make sure that any truck hooking up to its water system has back flow protectors to prevent any water from these tanker trucks from contaminating the town water supply. Town Clerk Sandy Massey spoke with a representative of Shenandoah Electric Cooperative.

“I got a call from John Sisler, and he said he apologized for those guys because they didn’t ask permission,” says Massey, “and they will be happy to pay for the gallons of water that they have used.”

The town office will bill Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative for 48,000 gallons of water when the bills are prepared later this month. The Mayor will have to contact B and S Contracting to find out how much water they used before a bill can be prepared. She will also notify both companies of the back flow protector requirement.

Mayor Janice Warner noted that town residents are still not picking up dog waste when they walk their dogs.

“I see people in town with their dogs all the time that they don’t pay no [sic] attention,” says Warner. “They just do their business and go on; I’m sure Tony sees it too. I think the thing that we’re concerned about is educating people to that fact that we have that ordinance, that you’re supposed to pick up after.”

One proposal being considered is to put up signs and containers on utility poles around town requesting that residents properly dispose of dog waste. The next step would be to identify and prosecute those who do not comply with the town ordinance. Councilman Dale Hammer made the point that the signs and containers will have to be put on every street in town, not just Main Street and Spruce Street. The council deferred a final decision on this matter to the next meeting.

In other business, Mayor Warner reported to the council that expenses associated with the new waste water treatment plant had exceeded the amounts budgeted in the water and sewer categories. She recommended that the town cash in a $28,000 cd to provide funds to pay these expenses and also to cover the cost of the sewer line to be constructed through the trailer park. Council members approved a motion to cash in the cd and amend the budget to transfer the funds from savings into the sewer and water categories.

Finally, the Council approved a motion to schedule an open house at the new Waste Water Treatment Plant for Saturday, September 24 from 1-4 PM. Refreshments will be provided.

The next regular meeting of the Monterey Town Council is scheduled for Thursday, October 6 at 7:30 PM in the Highland Public Library.

Story By

Heather Niday

Heather is our Program Director and Traffic Manager. She started with Allegheny Mountain Radio as a volunteer deejay. She then joined the AMR staff in February of 2007. Heather grew up in the Richmond, Virginia, area and now lives in Arbovale, West Virginia with her husband Chuck. Heather is a wonderful flute player, and choir director for Arbovale UMC. You can hear Heather along with Chuck on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8pm as they host two hours of jazz on Something Different.

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