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MENTONE - Bob Conley will have to pay his $1,372 water bill after all.
Monday, the Mentone Town Council unanimously approved a motion that Conley would have to pay the bill in full, but could set up a payment plan with the town to pay it off.
Conley wasn't happy.
In July, Conley received a water bill for his barber shop in Mentone for $1,372 for 512,000 gallons of water usage. His average water monthly bill is around $64. Conley could find no leak. At a special August meeting, Conley offered to pay for 13 months for the year instead of 12.
At Monday's regular town council meeting, Conley asked the board if they came to any decision on his water bill. He said he thinks he's done what he had to do.
Mark Hughes, town council president, said he did some research and came to the conclusion Conley had a water leak. There's been a history of water leaks in the area that don't surface for a while and the town does not have a history of giving breaks on water bills for water leaks.
"I say we do as we have in the past," councilman Tim Croy said, agreeing with Hughes.
"I have almost $1,000 invested in that site," said Conley. The property has no wet ground, no wet grass, there's no water in the basement. He said he doesn't have a water leak.
"My personal opinion was there was a leak," said Croy. He made a motion for Conley to pay the full bill. Hughes seconded the motion.
Conley said he tried to take care of the situation as soon as he was made aware of it, doing all he could. "And I've got to pay the full amount of the bill? You've got to be kidding me." He said one doesn't go from 5,000 gallons per month to 512,000 use the next month. "I've talked to nobody who thinks that type of usage makes sense."
Croy said Conley said the town should prove there was a leak, but could Conley prove there wasn't? He said he thought the meter was misread.
"I'm upset," said Conley. "I think I got a reason to be upset."
"If the water goes through your meter," said Croy, "you pay for the water."
