Two Warsaw couples are requesting their sewer fees be waived when they do not live in Warsaw in the winter.
Richard and Lucile Weirick, who live in Florida in the winter, and Ron and Betty Gilbert, who live in Arizona in the winter, discussed the issue during Monday's Warsaw City Council meeting.
Weirick attended the Sept. 21 Board of Public Works and Safety meeting and requested his sewer fee be waived when he and his wife live in Florida in the winter.
Weirick said they have traveled to Florida to live in the winter months since 1988.
He said when they return to Warsaw, they call the sewage department to notify the department they are back and get a sewer bill a day or two later for services they have not used while in Florida.
"In the past we have not had to pay for city sewer services when we have lived in Florida, but now we are having to pay and don't know why," Weirick said.
Weirick said he knows Warsaw residents who live in other states in the winter who do not pay for the city's sewer services.
He said his property taxes went up 20 percent, and after six months of paying sewer services when he does not live in Warsaw, his property taxes could increase to 100 percent.
Councilman Jeff Grose said although residents' property taxes have increased, they go toward helping educate students in the community.
"As a city, we try to provide a sewer service and charge fees that we ask the entire community to pay," Grose said.
"It is important to educate children and invest in our schools," Grose said.
He said there should be consistency and uniformity in requiring residential property owners to follow the city ordinance in requiring all residents to pay for sewer services.
Ron Gilbert said he called NIPSCO and was told if he had the company disconnect his water and sewer when he was gone for the winter, he would not have to pay for those services he didn't use.
He said by turning off utilities when he is in Florida in the winter, he can save approximately $1,000.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins said there currently is nothing in the city's ordinance that allows sewage fees to be waived for people who live in other states in the winter. He said there is a provision in the ordinance that allows residents on fixed incomes and senior citizens to receive reduced sewer rates.
There are approximately 25 Warsaw residents who live in other states in the winter who currently pay for sewer services when they do not live in Warsaw in the winter, according to Warsaw sewer collection manager Mary Lou Plummer.
Plummer said she met with Umbaugh and Associates this spring, and they found there were some Warsaw residents who lived in other states in the winter who did not pay for sewer services.
"This was a practice that took place and we are now trying to correct it so all sewer users pay the same rate all year long so it is fair for all residents," Plummer said.
She said each property owner is responsible for paying their sewer bill.
Warsaw Wastewater Treatment Utility manager David Henderson said the sewage fee not only includes a user fee, but also debt service payments and infrastructure and maintenance fees.
"There are about 100 miles of sewer lines in the ground that we take care of and they are aging," Henderson said.
He said citizens need to share sewer bills because sewer infrastructure needs to be maintained.
Bruce Woodward, Woodward Realty, agreed each property owner should be responsible for paying their sewer bill.
He said exceptions should not be made to Warsaw residents who live in other states in the winter to be allowed to have their sewer fees waived.
Woodward said he has to pay 40 to 45 sewer bills each month on properties he manages. He said he pays sewer bills on four-unit dwellings and single-family dwellings.
"When a tenant vacates a property, we don't get a discount on paying water and sewer fees that aren't being used, and it isn't fair for those residents who can afford to live in other states to be waived from paying sewer fees," Woodward said.
Councilman Joe Thallemer said he was not aware Warsaw residents who live in other states in the winter have not been paying for sewer services.
"If we waive sewer fees for our senior citizen residents who live in other states, the burden might go to senior citizens who have fixed incomes and don't take vacations in the winter," Thallemer said.
Councilman Bob Morrison said there should be consistency in all residents paying sewer bills.
"There has been a mistake in some residents not paying for sewer services when they live in other states during some of the months of the year," Morrison said.
He said all homeowners should play a fat fee for each sewage connection on the properties they own.
