Working On The Sewer Line

     Hello loyal readers. It’s been awhile since I wrote to you and gave an update about what is happening in the city of Bedford. Some of you know and understand that the city and county governments are separate entities. In the past, there have been local elected officials say things like, “I can’t do this or that because that’s in the city” or “I can’t do this or that because that’s in the county.” The truth is it is all about working together and communicating with one another. Grant it, there are stark differences and there are instances where the city cannot do things outside the city limits. In contrast, all of the city limits of Bedford are inside the county and all it takes is a phone call or a face to face conversation to resolve issues that are important to all of us who live in the area.  Judge Jerry Powell and District #2 Magistrate Kenny Green have been super at working with me every time I speak to them.

     Since the last time I wrote, I was able to get an education on the sewer lines in the City. One of the lines was clogged just off Fairview Circle by the Methodist Church. The first option was to go into a force main through a manhole on Cutshaw Lane. However, the manhole was covered by an undetermined amount of layers of asphalt. According to the maps that show where the manhole is located, the manhole is on Cutshaw Lane. I called County Judge Jerry Powell about the possibility that the county paved over the manhole. Without hesitation, he said if the county paved over it, we will take care of it. Sounds great, right? But before digging up asphalt in the middle of the road, I called a company called Blood Hound, Inc to locate the manhole cover. They determined that the manhole cover was buried between 8”-10” deep and is actually located at the intersection of Hwy 421N and Cutshaw lane where it was covered years ago by a contractor for the State Hwy department paved. Surprisingly, this has become a contentious item. At first, the state workers were ready to cut away the pavement from the asphalt to uncover the manhole. The option I was given was do it today or not at all. I knew the city didn’t have manhole risers laying around so uncovering the manhole that day would’ve left a huge pothole in a high traffic area for an unknown period of time. My thoughts are that the residents of Bedford should not have to pay for a mistake that was made years ago by a contractor hired by the state. The argument I keep getting is that the state is not going to work on our sewer line, which is laughable because I never asked anyone to work on our sewer line. But it bears reporting, that had we been able to get into that manhole it would have saved the taxpayers of Bedford over $10,000 because the fire department could have hosed out the clog less than 50 yards away.

      On to other matters, the city of Bedford passed an amendment to the sewer ordinance at our May 19 regular session meeting. The new ordinance requires landlords and property owners to be responsible for any unpaid sewer bills at any given location. For example, if someone comes into city hall wanting to turn on sewer services at 302 Mary Street the clerk would research that address to determine if there unpaid balances at that address. The reason for this ordinance is based on large number of renters moving in and out of Bedford leaving unpaid balances, while the majority of the residents of Bedford pay their bill on time every time. The waste water system in Bedford is aging and there is constantly something breaking down costing the city thousands of dollars. Last year, the commission was forced to raise rates 30% and it put the city sewer customers in a tough spot. So, for me, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to make property owners (landlords) liable for unpaid sewer bills their tenants leave behind. Perhaps, the landlords should begin doing background and credit checks on people who want to rent their property.

     The Crumb Rubber mulch is in but is not in place yet. It is going to look great around the community center. The hillside next to the parking lot of the community center is covered with poison ivy. I have sprayed it with Round-up weed killer, Jim Hoskins sprayed it also, and it is still alive. We are going to try Crossbow next. If you know someone who isn’t allergic to it, send them to city hall because we have job for them.

     The City Commission agreed to terms of a contract with our Waste Water Superintendent at our May 19 meeting. Jim Hoskins has been working for the City over a year now and I am happy to say he will continue to work for the City. Jim has went above and beyond the scope of his previous contract with the City and I look forward to working with him going forward. On that note, the City purchased a new truck for Jim to carry tools and do City work. Of course, it’s not a brand new truck. If the City could afford a new truck we wouldn’t have to worry about raising sewer rates or making landlords pay the bills left behind from their tenants. The truck is a white 2005 Chevy with tool boxes and a crane on the back. This winter it will be equipped with a snow plow, but I am in no hurry for snow.

     Thank you for taking time to read my blog. I appreciate your concerns about the metropolis of Bedford. Until next time, God Bless You.