KINGWOOD — Eight residents of the Cherry Ridge community showed up at a special meeting of the Kingwood Sanitary Sewer Board meeting Monday, saying they were not told the city was planning to extend its sewer system to include their community.
“I’m here to find out what’s going on,” Joe Miller said. “I called to find out what was going on. We’ve had no information about what you are doing. You want an easement on my property — what kind of damage and what kind of cost are we going to get into?”
Board member Randy Plum told Miller he should have been given a map detailing the board’s plan to bring the sewer system into that community. He said the projected sewer system upgrade will take in the area between Miller Road and Cherry Ridge. Once completed, the extension will allow the city to add 46 new customers to the system.
“We noticed surveying being done and the surveyor requested consent. I don’t need the service — the whole community doesn’t need it,” Miller said.
Rick Myers also addressed the board.
“All of our homes are unique and the drop out of our sewage might not be facing the road,” Myers said. “Are you going to dig up my whole yard?”
Plum said they will be following state code.
“Most folk don’t want it so we developed a merit,” Plum said. “The state code requires you to hook up and if you don’t, you still have to pay the sewer bill. The only way we can expand our service is toward Walmart on Route 26.”
According to U.S. Legal, merit in the legal context refers to a claim that has a valid basis, setting forth sufficient facts from which the court could find a valid claim of deprivation of a legal right.
Kingwood Mayor Jean Guillot said part of the project is to get rid of the remaining grinder pumps. He said a project in 2012 removed more than 200 of them. When completed, this project will get rid of the remaining 48.
“We’ll be happy to meet with the residents,” Plum said, “If changes need to be made and can be done with reasonable costs we can look in it. The merit’s already established and were going to be doing the system. It’s not an attractive system.”
Miller said the community’s concern was not being notified.
“We can’t make changes if we don’t know what’s happening,” he said.
Sewer Clerk Amy DeBerry said the benefit for the customers is that they don’t have to pay a tap fee for the line.
Board members said they will set up a time for a meeting with residents May 13, prior to its regular meeting.
