By Debby Woodin

dwoodin@joplinglobe.com

After hearing pleadings from representatives of several area communities and one of Joplin’s largest out-of-city sewer customers, the City Council agreed Monday night to impose a 30 percent surcharge rather than a 50 percent rate the panel previously had approved.

Representatives of Duenweg, Duquesne, Loma Linda and Downstream Casino Resort all asked the council to reduce the sewer surcharge that a majority of council members previously had supported. A rate study done by an outside consultant had recommended a 30 percent rate.

Duenweg

Russell Olds, mayor of Duenweg, told the council that about 600 households and businesses in Duenweg would be affected by the rate. “Our constituents believe the 50 percent rate is at least arbitrary,” Olds told the council.

A Duenweg council member, Jane Ballard, told the council that Duenweg residents paid to build a trunk line that eventually was sold to the city so it could be used for a Joplin industrial park.

“We have been partners,” she said, “But we feel the rate is not equitable.”

She estimated that the city has 1,600 customers outside the city limits who would pay an extra $17,000 a month if the rate was 50 percent and $9,700 if the rate was 30 percent.

“The rate increase of 50 percent is really rather drastic for our residents,” Ballard said.

Another speaker, William J. Long, said he lives in Duenweg and owns a business in Joplin. “Fifty percent is a little strong for people’s ability to pay in Duenweg,” he said. He said he could afford to pay a little higher rate on his Joplin business if the council would set the out-of-city rate at the lower 30 percent for the benefit of residential customers.

Duquesne

David Weaver, a former Duquesne alderman who recently moved to Carthage but is helping to finish a project in Duquesne to install sewer lines and convert that town to public sewer rather than septic tanks, said 700 will be hooking onto Joplin sewer service. He said those customers would be hit with the bond indebtedness for the installation of the lines, a hookup fee of about $1,000 plus the Joplin sewer rates all at once.

He asked Joplin to implement the 30 percent rate and to stagger it over five years like the $6.32 rate increase in-city customers will be charged over five years.

Casino, Loma Linda