Resident contractor seeks city review after $5,000 sewer-repair bill beneath Hickman home

A public commenter told the City of Hickman Board of Commissioners that he repaired a sewer lateral beneath the home of Mickey Harris and later billed the city $5,000 for the work done in January. The commenter said the 6-inch line serves multiple dwellings, including an apartment added in the early 1990s, and that tap fees collected at the time could make the line a city asset.

—I gave the city a bill,— the speaker said, describing the work to clear waste, unstopped a line and replace broken fittings. He said the line included multiple taps and two cleanouts in the driveway and that staff had been unable to locate a key manhole that would clarify where the line ties into the broader system.

City officials and the commenter discussed whether the lateral appears on historic city maps or was created by later additions to properties. The commenter suggested the configuration may date to an earlier era of construction and that parts of the run lie beneath Troy Avenue, a state roadway, which could complicate excavation and repairs.

Speaker 1 asked staff to research city records and historic tap-fee payments to determine whether the repair is the city's responsibility. The commenter requested that the commission and staff verify maps and tap-fee records and report back; Speaker 1 said staff would attempt to resolve the matter before the board's regular July meeting.

No formal action was taken during the public comment period. Commissioners instructed staff to investigate records of tap fees, attempt to locate manholes and cleanouts in the field, and determine whether the line should be treated as a city main or a private shared lateral.