The Trenton City Council Monday night approved two policies dealing with customers who have unpaid utility bills. Two ordinances were approved, a bid was accepted to mow the city-owned property, and an oil distribution truck was purchased.
All votes were unanimous among the seven council members participating.
If services are shut off for non-payment, Trenton Municipal will temporarily disconnect the utility services, and if TMU notices signs of tampering with any service, the electric service will be removed from the meter base to the transformer.
The water service will be disconnected by cutting or capping the water service line. Water service will not be re-connected without installing a water pit at the property line. The owner will be responsible for the expense of installing the new water meter pit. Any tampering will be referred to Trenton Police for prosecution.
The second policy states when utility services are shut off for non-payment, TMU will disconnect the water service and remove the meter. If the water meter is located in a basement and indoor access is denied, TMU will disconnect the water service at the property line. The service will not be re-connected until a meter pit is installed and done at the expense of the property owner.
Shaun and Payden McCullough of Trenton were selected for mowing eight city-owned lots at a cumulative cost of $165 per mowing. He will also mow and use weed eaters at the city cemetery every ten days during the growing season for $175 each time. Administrator Ron Urton told the council it was the only bid received.
The council accepted a quote of $262,000 to purchase an oil distributor truck for street maintenance usage. The 2023 one-thousand-gallon distributor truck will be purchased from the G.W. Van Keppel Company of Kansas City and will replace an oiler truck that city officials say is nearly 40 years old.
Formal approval was given to a bid from Build N Trust Construction Company and Emanuel Hostetler of Trenton. The bid, accepted at the council meeting two weeks ago, was for $186, 198. The 50-foot by 120-foot building will be 16 feet tall and used for storage by all three TMU departments. The building is to be constructed in an empty lot west of a TMU building at 26th and Oklahoma Avenue. City crews perform grading of the site, electrical wiring, plumbing, and HVAC work.
The council, by way of ordinance, issued a conditional use permit to Cassie Stamper to convert a garage into a studio apartment at 902 Custer Street.
Among topics in his report, Administrator Ron Urton noted poles and lights have been ordered for the north side of Highway 6 at the west edge of Trenton, an engineer is completing plans for phase one of the 10th and Oklahoma water main project, street crews are doing maintenance on the asphalt plant preparing it for use this year, and efforts are being made to get more water meters to communicate with advanced metering infrastructure. Data is being noted for the lead service line inventory and planning is underway for sewer main, repair projects.
Councilman Robert Romesburg was absent from Monday night’s meeting.
