By Shannon Wright
The Heflin Town Council meeting held on Thursday, May 7, lasted a little longer than usual, with much of the discussion centered around an upcoming water rate increase and how best to inform residents before the changes take effect.
Council members said they want citizens to fully understand why the increase is necessary and discussed several ways to make sure the public is notified ahead of time.
The Louisiana Rural Water Association (LRWA) recently completed a rate study for the Village of Heflin and found that the village currently has some of the lowest water rates in the state.
Alderman Hallie DeMoss explained that even with the upcoming increase, Heflin residents will still be paying rates well below average.
“This is still substantially lower than average,” said DeMoss.
Officials said the increase is necessary because the current rates are no longer sustainable for maintaining the system long term. They also explained that without a rate increase, the village could face difficulty obtaining state or federal funding should a major issue arise within the water system.
In order to qualify for certain grants or federal assistance programs, villages must meet minimum water rate requirements.
“Even with this [increase] we will still be some of the lowest rates in the state,” said Mayor Ralph James.
Water operator Jessie Williamson and members of the council are encouraging residents to attend next month’s meeting, where a full explanation of the increase will be presented. Residents are asked to check their water bills for information regarding the meeting date and time.
In other business, Police Chief Paul Migues reported a quiet month for the village.
“Everything is pretty quiet,” Migues said. “The only thing we had was a suspicious vehicle and a juvenile throwing rocks at cars, and both of those have been corrected.”
Regular Heflin council meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., and residents are encouraged to attend to stay informed on matters affecting the community.