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Resident tells Hickman commissioners he billed city $5,000 after repairing shared sewer line
Summary
A resident told the board he repaired and cleaned a clogged shared sewer line under a neighbor's house, submitted a $5,000 bill to the city and asked staff to research whether the line is municipal. Commissioners asked staff to check maps, tap fees and manholes and report back before the July meeting.
A resident identified in the transcript as Speaker 3 told the City of Hickman Board of Commissioners that he repaired a clogged sewer line serving multiple homes and presented a $5,000 bill to the city for the work.
The speaker said crews discovered a 6-inch line that serves several houses, cleaned wastewater from beneath the home of "Mickey Harris," and replaced broken pipe and clean-outs. "I gave the city a bill, and it's and and it ain't right nowhere," the speaker said, calling for the city to review responsibility for the repair.
City officials on the dais asked for documentation and a timeline. Speaker 3 said the work took place "last January" and that he had a breakdown of parts and labor. The speaker estimated the line connects four taps and described other nearby connections, naming neighbors and rental units as locations tied into the same run.
Commissioners asked staff to search old maps and tap-fee records to determine whether the line was ever designated a city line and whether the city collected tap fees when connections were made. Staff also noted they have been unable to locate a manhole tied to the run; Speaker 3 recalled removing a storm drain during the repair. Speaker 1 said staff (John and David, as named in the discussion) would research the matter and try to resolve it before the regular July meeting.
The speaker suggested the line could date to early public-works efforts and said he did not know how the pipe came to be under the house after additions were built. Commissioners did not take formal action at this meeting beyond directing staff to investigate records, maps and physical infrastructure to verify ownership and responsibility.
Next steps: staff will search city records for tap-fee history, attempt to locate the manhole and report findings to the board for a future determination of financial responsibility.
