Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

The Hayneville Town Council took one step toward providing its residential water customers an opportunity for water leak protection insurance, Monday night. And the council cast its vote to support the T-100 project to build the T-100 fighter trainer for F-35 fighter jet at the home of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The council voted unanimously to let Annie Robinson, an administrative assistant for the town who also serves as clerk for the town’s water system, to complete a questionnaire to determine if the town’s water system qualifies for the Servline Insurance Program for its customers.

And the council unanimously approved a resolution in favor of the T-100 project.

Robinson appeared before the council at its regular Sept. 10 meeting regarding the Servline water leak insurance program for Hayneville’s residential water customers.

She said the coverage would cost water customers up to $1.80 per month. And she said with the insurance, if a water bill is above the minimum, a customer could file up to two claims per year.

According to Robinson, after sends in receipts, showing they had had a leak on their side of the water line repaired, the insurance would pay anything over the minimum bill.

She said the town of Hayneville has 988 residential water customers for whom a minimum water bill is currently $42. 23 per month.

She said most of the town’s water lines already in place are “old, or they have already burst, or they are so old that they will burst at any time.” And, she said, “When you find out about it, the bill is already high… way more than the minimum.”

She said the coverage could not begin until January 2020.

Mayor David Daniel recommended that the town put all of its water customers on the insurance.

Robinson told the Signal that the insurance cost would be added to the customers’ water bills. And while she said customers can opt out of the insurance, if they do opt out and have a catastrophe, they could be responsible to pay their entire water bill at one time.

Robinson explained to the council that after the questionnaire it approved is complete, the council will know the actual cost of the insurance program and could then either accept or reject the program.

In other matters, the council unanimously approved the minutes of its Aug. 13 meeting, voted to classify a bush hog, a 2001 burgundy Chevrolet Impala and a 2009 white Dodge Charger all as surplus property, to participate in the Retirement System of Alabama one-time lump payment for retirees and beneficiaries and to pay the town’s bills.

The council voted not to allow its employees to do water repair on private property for an emergency water leak.

Council member Sharon Reeves asked how far the town would have to go in doing such repairs on private property, if it approved such work. And Council member Justin Pouncey pointed out that if such work was done for one person, it would have to be done for all.

Kim Davis, who appeared before the council on behalf of the T-100 project, said the project will change aerospace in Alabama, the region and in Tuskegee. She said it will also bring suppliers to the region and will create a minimum of 750 high wage jobs.

She called a “tremendous regional opportunity for Tuskegee and the entire Central Alabama Region.” And she asked for a resolution of support from the council, which was unanimously approved.

Absent from Monday’s meeting was Council member Cynthia McDonald.