Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Billing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenter tells Crossville council a contractor-exposed meter led to a $5,300 bill
Summary
Gina Knight told the Crossville City Council she received a March bill for $5,300 alleging 369,000 gallons used during Jan. 15–Feb. 18, 2025; she said the meter had been exposed in an active construction trench since October 2024 and asked the city to extend one-time billing forgiveness or remove the charge.
Gina Knight, a public commenter, told the Crossville City Council she received a March 2025 water bill for more than $5,300 that claimed her business used 369,000 gallons of water in the billing period Jan. 15–Feb. 18, 2025.
Knight said contractors opened a ditch near her property in October 2024 and left the water meter exposed and unsupported in that trench for months. “The meter was in an active construction zone, exposed for months, handled by contractors, and repaired outside of our control,” she told the council during public comment, arguing that the meter’s condition and multiple repairs make it implausible that her business was responsible for the unusually high usage.
Knight said her water service was disrupted in January and again in February, that local plumbers (Seabird Plumbing and Martin Plumbing) had verified the problem was not inside her building, and that a city inspector on Jan. 17 noted the meter had been wrapped and had moved. “The bill was over $5,300 and claimed we used 369,000 gallons of water,” Knight said, adding a household or spigot could not account for that volume during the billing cycle.
Chair responded that he had received Knight’s email and spoken with the city manager, and said the city would investigate. “So I’ll get with the city manager tomorrow, and we’ll get you an answer by tomorrow evening,” the Chair told Knight, who pressed for a prompt response given continued lack of running water.
Why it matters: a municipal meter left within a construction zone can shift responsibility for high-use charges and create financial hardship for small businesses; the council’s follow-up will determine whether staff or the contractor is held accountable and whether the city will grant the one-time forgiveness Knight referenced.
What the council heard: Knight requested the city either extend one-time billing forgiveness or remove the excessive charge, citing a lack of evidence that her business consumed that volume and describing stress and business disruption caused by the dispute. Council did not take a formal vote; staff committed to follow up with the city manager and report back by the next day.
Next steps: City staff will investigate the billing record, construction timeline and meter repairs and return to Knight and the council with findings; the transcript records no formal vote on relief during the meeting.
