Up to 250 Bogalusa customers face water cut-off

Persons who are not current in their water bills with the City of Bogalusa will either need to become current or have their water cut off beginning Tuesday.

Last Tuesday night, City Administrator Jerry Bailey told members of the city council that water cut-offs would begin "this month."

On Wednesday, while working on a list of delinquent accounts about to be turned over for collection, he told wpnewsblog there "are between 200 and 250" customers that are going to be cut off.

Bailey said this step has never been taken during his tenure at city hall "unless someone had tapped into someone's else's water or was otherwise obtaining water illegally."

The city first threatened to cut water off back in March, when city Public Works Director James Hall estimated there were some 2,000 deliquent accounts. Because of ongoing concerns regarding the billing system pertaining to newly installed water meters, the city opted to forego the cut-offs.

But now, enough is enough.

With more than $300,000 in utility receivables, officials have decided to stop allowing people to put off payment of their bills.

Persons may pay their bill in person in the City Hall Annex or online at www.bogalusa.com. If a disconnect order is issued and worked, a reconnect fee will be assessed in addition to the past due amount before water will be turned on again. City officials have said it could take up to 48 hours to have water reconnected.

Claim made water meters improperly installed

With a municipal court room two-thirds full and a list of 12 persons signed up to speak, alarms should have been going off that this would be no normal meeting of the Bogalusa City Council.

There was no disappointing.

Byrd Avenue resident Jewel Vernon
 looks directly at City Administrator
 Jerry Bailey and Mayor Charles Mizel
 as she criticizes the city's water
meters.  (Photo by John H. Walker)

While most spoke in an even tone, there were moments when emotions got the best of people — such as Mrs. Jewell Vernon. Mrs. Vernon, who lives on Byrd Avenue, said her water bill under the metered system was "ninety-something dollars" and said she had gotten nothing but what she described as a runaround from city officials.

Vernon blames meter installers for damaging plumbing under her house and said she had asked several times for repairs to be made. The city position, though, is that there is no why the installation of the meter could cause any movement of pipes underground to cause exposed pipes under the house to break.

Earl Clark, who identified himself
as a former employee of Vannguard
Utility Partners, shows the tiny
fitting he claims was not imstalled
on many Bogalusa meters at the
direction of Vannguard supervisors.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

Vernon claimed Mayor Charles Mizell treated her in a condescending manner on Monday and said, "I've had it with you, Mr. Mayor."

But Vernon wasn't the only one who talked about water bill concerns. In addition, there was Tony Castagnetta, Gayle McCants, Michelle Byrne,Doonie Saraceno, Fate Ferrell and Terry Quinn ... but the one who drew the most attention was Earl Clark, of New Orleans, who said he was an employee of Vannguard Utility Partners of DeForest, Wis., the contractor hired to install the meters.

Clark rose to the podium and explained he was from New Orleans and had been invited to attend the meeting, then turned toward the audience and said, "You have meter problems because the meters were improperly installed. I know, because I was part of the crew."

The fitting in question

Clark then held a small, one-inch long blue plastic fitting and said, "We didn't have the proper parts to do the job. Bogalusa was using plastic and Vannguard was using metal ... we were told by my supervisor that when we ran out of parts, to use old parts to finish the job. Vannguard was very much aware that these meters were improperly installed."

When asked by Council President Wendy Perrette if others knew about this, Clark said, "I don't know who did know and didn't know. I know the Vannguard people knew and they had meetings with the city, but I didn't know if they said anything (to city officials)."

Clark's disclosure drews "oohs" and "aahs" from an audience already rife with poor planning and mishandling despite the most ardent of assurances and reassurances from city officials.

Gayle McCants voiced concern for a group she described as "my older ladies" who were afraid to use their dishwashers, for example, for fear of an exorbitant water bill.

McCants offered a comparison of rates between Bogalusa, Varnado, Franklinton and St. Tammany Parish and asked council to review the rates for a possible reduction.

Terry "Foots" Quinn asked council to revert to the pre-meter rates until all of the meters are installed, all of the problems ironed out and a more evenly developed rate system is in place.

"That's what I would ask you to do," he said. "Just roll it back until you get it worked out so it's fair to everyone."

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)