Agenda
Utility Service Board Monthly Meeting
Tuesday June 2, 2009, 6:30 p.m.
At Whitestown Municipal Utilities Office
6999 Lexington CircleZionsville, Indiana 46077
1. Approval of Meeting Minutes for May 5, 2009 USB Meeting
2. Project Updates
A. Water Line Replacements OCRA Grant Project
B. Water Transmission Lines Project
C. Walker Farms Force Main Relocation Project
D. North Sewer System Preliminary Engineering Report — Future OCRA Grant Project
3. Old Business:
A. Project Application and Dedication Process with Resolution
B. Walker Farms Section 11 Dedication
4. Utility Manager's Report• Staff Reports
5. New Business
6. Other Business
7. Next Meeting: July 7, 2009; 6:30 p.m.
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34 comments:
Water rates are a real big rip off. The Town Council is mismanaging the utilities.
It's time to demand that the Water Utilities company be sold off.
Really???
The council is mismanaging the utility???
You think your demands will actually benefit local residents???
You really think an outsider is going to perform the day to day work currently being done???
You think an outsider is going to hold monthly meetings to hear from their users???
You think an outsider gives a crap about Whitestown customers???
When was the last time you attended a USB meeting and asked about the current rates and took the time to disect the recent rate study and ask questions???
I think if I were you,I would first pick up the phone and ask for some face time with the utility manager, maybe he can help you understand the current situation and how we ended up here.
Yes, the rates are high.
Yes, it sucks.
No, I don't think selling the utility will do anything but increase the rates even more.
Mike,
You must be drinking too much of that Whitestown water. It's having a negative impact on your ability to rationally think in a common sense manner. You might want to consider sobering up by drinking bottled water.
And I think it now costs less and most definitely tastes a lot better.
Whitestown Water is 3 to 4 times more expensive than all of its neighbors and the city of Indy. It's one of the highest, if not the very highest, in the state.
If Whitestown Utilities were a real business, the company would be out of business.
Question: Would it cost less to have water trucked into my home vs. buying it from Whitestown Utilities?
LOL, Now that's some funny stuff. Seriously, I was laughing.
I was mainly pointing out that the first poster was thinking in over simplistic terms and abviously doesnt' even know where to place the blame, then "demanded" that the utility be sold off without even knowing what that would entail or even mean.
You could call the pool water guys that deliver pool water directly from the hydrants in Lebanon and see what they would charge to bring you a load of water. I'm not sure how you would store it or get it into your plumbing system for your house.
Whitestown Utilities is ripping people off. My bill last month was over $140 for just 6000 gallons of water.
What is going on?
Why doesn't the IURC intercede?
Mike,
You see why can't read the blog any more.
If I ever need a good dose of ignorance this is where I come.
All I ever see anymore is chicken S$$$$ whining me, me and more me.
I do not see a any reasonable answers to the issues.
Jeez,, most likely the same people that keep trying to drive their little cars up the back of my truck killing themselves to get to their pitiful cube.
L.J.
Mike,
I am pushing once again, for the no name no comment.
Maybe I would start reading again.
I have a google account now so no worries for me.
L.J.
My water and sewer bill was $140 last month.
I live in Eagle Township.
This is extortion!!!!! Whitestown is raking me and my family over the coals!!!!!!!!! It's a complete rip off!!!!!! I am outraged!!!!!!!!
What the heck is going on???????
Get rid of the freaking utility!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a piece of garbage that Ray's Trash needs to send to the dump.
Mike,
Wake up and get away from Whitestown for a moment.
The water stinks. It's one of the highest priced, if not the highest, in the state.
It's a very small utility. There's no economies of scale. It has got a lot of high fixed costs to spread to a very small customer base. So, it's ripping off its customers.
You are right about one thing, it does suck (the utility and the services it provides at the price it charges).
It can't get any worse than what we currently have right now!!!!!
Given its past record, why in the world do you think it is ever going to change for the better. We are talking at least 5 to 10 years out.
It's time to throw this peace of crap into the garbage or give it to someone else as scrap to rework.
Mike,
All of my neighbors basically are saying the same thing.
The Water Utility is ripping everyone off. We are paying outragious rates and not getting much in return. The Water Utility is sucking our hard earned money down the toilet into its sewer system where it appears as though it is getting lost in a bunch of crap.
It's time to dump the Water utility and move forward into the future.
When you say "neighbors", would it be safe to assume that you live in Royal Run?
Yes, I live in Royal Run. I have also talked with my neighbors in Walker Farms and Eagle's Nest.
They also are all outraged at what is going on. I pay $140 per month. The folks in Walker Farms say they pay $80 a month. And their water tastes like you know what.
My neighbors say that $80 per month is incredibly high. But $140 per month beats it all.
This is ridiculous. Something is wrong. We are getting ripped off.
Shut the Water Utility down before it shuts us down as far being able to pay the monthly water bill is concerned.
Obviously I do not know how many people live in your household or how many gallons of water you use on a regular basis, but maybe you need to talk with your representative on the Utility Service Board and ask him to explain the rate study, and charges, to you sometime. His name is Chris Badger and he lives there in Royal Run with you.
Mike,
Your last comment clearly shows that you are out of touch with reality.
You need to stop drinking that Whitestown water. It's negatively impacting your ability to understand what really is going on.
My water bill is obnoxiously outragious for the amount of gallons that my family uses, which is around 5700 gallons. This is average consumption for a typical family.
$140 per month is a rip off. It's worse than paying $4.00 per gallon for gasoline. Obviously, there's something going on that makes no sense, especially when there are people just a mile away who are paying for the exact same services and getting charged 3 times less.
There's a saying: common sense is not that common. Clearly, when it comes to Whitestown water and sewer, there are a lot of people in Whitestown that are lacking common sense on the matter.
Everyone I talk with basically thinks there is something wrong and that we should flush this piece of crap down the toilet.
That't common sense speaking.
I'm out of touch???
Your comment clearly demonstrates that you don't understand the difference in price between Royal Run and Walker Farms. Were you even aware that there is a north and a south system? Do you know the source of water for the different systems?
I'm not saying that $140 a month is not ridiculous, I just think you need to get a better understanding of the facts before you demand the utility be sold. Things could be MUCH worse, trust me. You should be careful what you ask for, you just might get it!
Mike,
I hear you. You make good points.
As you know, Whitestown Water has the highest rates in the state. It's a crime. If the Water Utility wasn't a monopoly and there was competition where people had a choice, the Water Utility would either adjust their rates accordingly or go out of business.
Now, if the water and services were so fantastic that it justified such a high price, that's a different story.
However, this is not the case. For years, the Water Utility has been providing poor quality services at an excessively high prices. In addition, based on my experiences and what I have learned from many others, customer service is a piece of you know what. It's just plain lousy. For instance,their late fee is the highest of all of my bills. To throw gasoline into the fire, the Utility will not cut you any slack when you mail it out on the day before the bill is due and they receive in the mail the day after it is due. They screw you with a late fee. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
We have a real problem. The Water Utility is screwing and raping its customers in more ways than one and getting away with it. And Town Council is letting it all happen.
Instead of continuing to allow the customers to be consistently flushed down the toilet, the Water Utility needs to be flushed down the toilet.
We are fed up with it!!!!!!!
There's no excuse.
I hear you, and the council/utility members reading this blog hear you.
I wish there was an easy answer. I would encourage you to contact your rep on the utility board and attend the Utility Service Board meetings and get involved.
This issue was discussed many, many times before the rate study was adopted and increases made.
It's unfortunate that people always react to the changes after the fact rather than attend the meetings in a proactive manner and offer input before changes are implemented and it's too late.
I think it's very important for people to attend meetings and make themselves aware of the actions being taken by governing bodies.
It's kinda like the people who bitch about their elected officials when they did't even get out and vote!
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED!
I wish I had been able to attend this meeting, however I had some other pressing engagements.
I don't blame any individual, but the water costs to the Whitestown customers are extortionate! I live in Walker Farms and I use below the average usage and pay aprox. $100 a month (in the small town in another state, from which we moved, it was approximately $50)
plus the water quality is so poor, we spend an additional $35 per month to have drinking water delivered to us. My apologies to my neighbors that we are unable to properly water our lawn as well. Knowing what I know now, I would be hard pressed to move to this area. I hope the officials get some of these issues sorted out if they want to attract business and developement.
Jami Rome
3845 Tartan Trail
In addition, when we first moved in, our first month's water bill was over $700, no one could explain it?
The Utilities were adimate that I pay it, they offered no reason why it would be that high, just I had to pay it. I really had to do some discussing with the builder and the water company and they kindly reduced my bill. I don't really know what happened or who payed the difference.
thanks again for letting me share!
Jami Rome
3845 Tartan Trail
Jami, Thank you for your comments. I always appreciate articulate, well written comments by intelligent individuals.
I remember hearing about the $700 water bill and I think (could be wrong) that it was attributed to builders using the water to water your neighbors lawns while your house was under construction.
I agree that something needs to be done. We are a family of 3 who purposefully did not water our lawn last month...in protest of having our lawn water meter taken away when we had only had it for 4 months. Our water bill was $165 this month and $163 last month. This is absolutely ridiculous. Friends in west Carmel pay $35 for a family of 4. Why can't southern WMU be transferred to another provider if WMU cannot provide water at a decent price?
Just curious, has the Town Council or the WMU hired anyone to appraise the value of the company?
This would be a real good first step to determine whether or not the WMU should be divested.
As you might recall, the Town Council has stated that they are "open to all available alternatives". Has this possibility been really explored?
If Town Council truly means what it says, the first step is to determine the value of what you want to sell. That's what you do when you want to sell a house or a large asset.
That would be a great question for you to ask at the next council or utility board meeting!
How is it that the utility manager, Mr Alley, only pays $300 a yr in property taxes on a house similar to many others in Walker Farms who pay $900-1000 a yr? His assessed value was $61000 while most others were $11000-115000. Also it shows the owner Crossman aka Beazer.
I am more than a little worried after reading these comments. I am getting ready to build a home in Walker Farms. 140 a month for water, and it isn't safe to drink? It tastes awful? Why hasn't the town hired an attorney to do something about it? Why is everyone sitting on this? No one should pay 80 to 140 month for water. I will have to contact Beazer tomorrow and re-think this. I don't want to end up with a brain tumor because no one did anything about the water. What is wrong with you people? You are complaining but continue to pay for it. Get an attorney and if the whole town stopped paying the water bill, you bet the utility company would take notice. Rise up and make a plan. Get your heads out of your butts.
There are lots of things being done and I have had several people tell me that the quality of their water has improved dramatically. The town just replaced all of the old water lines in a huge project that will certainly have a huge impact on water delivery and quality. All of the newer parts of town already have new lines, so the system is in the best shape it's ever been in for the last 40 years, and more imporvements are already in the works. Please contact the utility office for additional details or to address your concerns.
Hi Mike,
It seems you are maintaining this discussing board and you know a lot of behind scene facts about the unbelievable high price for basic water service. But I don't see you tell the facts --- you keep telling people to call to find out themselves. Would you mind to share the facts you know?
Yes, I do know a lot of the facts.
The reason I know the facts is because I go to meetings, I talk with people and I ask a lot of questions. Bottom line....I put in the time to educate myself.
I could sit here all night and tell you what I know, but there will still be those people who do not believe what I have to say and simply won't believe any information that they do not verify for themselves.
Why get second hand information when you can go directly to the source and get answers from the people who make the decisions?
I suggest everyone attend meetings, ask questions, and put in your own time.......unless you don't feel that this issue is worthy of your valuable time.
Did you go to tonights meeting?
My husband and I plan on moving to Walker Farms and stumbled upon this blog regarding high water bills. I contacted the sales rep at Walker Farms and he assured me that our bill would be around $50-$60/month for a family of 2, does that seem right?
No, do not believe the salesperson (on this issue and other issues they may say they "assure" you on). It was closer to around $50-$60 a month under the old rates... but you will be around $80-$120 a month for water & sewer, under the new rates (which have been in place for around 4-5 months). The range I put is depending on the time of year (lawn watering). There is a credit in the summer for lawn watering, and it helps... but it doesn't offset the cost completely. But even if you don't plan on watering the lawn at all (which you will have to, unless you don't care if the new lawn dies), the lowest would be around $80-$85 a month for 2 people, in what we've seen. And I don't think we're over-using water. The best thing to do is, for water and electricity too, call both utilities and ask for an average consumption/price per month. They may tell you what it is for the whole system (and not 2 people), but it will give you a starting point for water/sewer and your electricity as well.
Advice... you need to do your research on every aspect of the purchase... some of my friends are looking to move into Walker Farms and went to the sales office without us recently... and wow, those salespeople in there now are feeding a lot of BS to people (it wasn't the same salespeople when we bought), to get them to sign on that line. I'm not going to go into specifics, but it was some BS. Remember, that salesperson may "assure" you... but when it comes down to it, they have no control over anything that isn't run by Beazer.
And don't get me wrong, I love living here and would recommend it to you... but I hate when salespeople say things without knowing what they're talking about, just to make a sale... and when I heard what they told my friends, it made me a little mad (and why the venting now).
Andrew,
Thank you for your honesty! What is your view on the actual homes themselves, do you think they are made properly? Also, do you think your electricty bills seem to be higher? We just want to make sure we are making the right decision before we sign on the dotted line.
Thanks!
Homes built properly?... well, I think so. But there's a lot of people that define "properly" differently. I'll keep it short and just say, I think it was built properly in comparison to what we paid. Some people though, expect everything for nothing... but, as long as you know you're buying a production home from a production builder (and not a custom home from a custom builder), you'll be happy... in my opinion.
As for electricity, we moved from an apartment so we had an increase in electricity cost just based on the square footage difference. Do I think the electricity bill is outrageous? No. From what I talk with other people in other areas... it's not bad. Just remember if you're getting more space... that equals more space to heat/cool, and in turn more electricity.
I have lived alone for 5 years in Walker Farms and my water bill fluctuates every month from 5,000 gallons of consumption to 9,000. Is anyone else's water consumption so inconsistent?
I am with you. I live in Walker Farms, have been oot for two weeks and came home to another $160 water bill. What is really going on? When I became a homeowner, I was assured that rates would be around 30-50/mth.
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