Starbuck Sewer Rate Policy Needs To Be Enforced

This is in response to Verna Foley's recent letter to the editor. I have been on city council for the town of Starbuck since 1996. I am also the certifi ed wastewater operator for the town. I do this voluntarily.

Foley's letter to the editor was full of false statements. Foley implied that she should not be charged a sewer dump fee at the trailer park she and Mayor Darcy Linklater own because she is already being charged at a rate above what other residents and businesses pay.

This is not true. Their overall bill is higher because their usage is higher. Their bill is to be calculated the same way as every other residence and business in the community and is set by ordinance.

Records provided during the last council meeting by councilmember Roncia McCoy clearly show that Foley and Linklater had been billed at a rate that was less than owed in 2009 and 2010 when calculated by ordinance.

Also, the amount billed does include sewer usage, contrary to what was indicated in Foley's letter. These discounts were not authorized by council or former Mayor Lusk, as Foley stated.

Lusk was not mayor when the $50 per month deal began.

I also noticed that Foley is only paying one tank fee when there are two tanks serving the larger RV park with the wash facility.

In 2010, with Darcy Linklater leading the meeting as mayor, the council denied someone on a fixed pension a discount on their sewer bill. This person had been made to follow protocol and bring the request to council. Council was not informed at that time about the discounted fee that Foley and Mayor Linklater were paying.

Providing preferential treatment for anyone, especially the mayor and his business partner, places the town in a position of liability. The actual sewer rate evaluation figures are public record and can be obtained from the Starbuck town clerk. All council members were provided with a copy at the January meeting.

I am hoping this gives the folks from Starbuck a better idea of what is going on, and that citizens will come to council and become involved in fairly revising and enforcing our sewer ordinance.

Ruth Shearer, Starbuck City Council