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Maxwell council to demand contractor clarify and pay for unmetered water used during utility boring
Summary
After finance committee review, the council authorized a letter to Coyote (and cc Huxley Communications) to formalize an oral understanding on water use during utility boring and to seek payment or assurances after council members raised concerns that subcontractors used city-treated water without measurement.
The Maxwell City Council authorized the mayor to sign a letter asking the contractor and its subcontractor to clarify and, if appropriate, reimburse the city for treated water used during utility boring operations.
Council discussion stemmed from an oral understanding with Huxley Communications about water use by contractors. Members said they were not certain contractors had told the city they would use municipal water for boring, and they raised concerns that subcontractors (identified in meeting discussion as Coyote/Coyote Hydro) may have taken water without metering, creating a potential unmeasured cost for residents.
A council member noted the difficulty of retroactively charging for water that was not measured: "I don't know how you're going to get paid for anything without measuring something," the member said during debate. A company representative referenced in the discussion (Connie) told a council member she believed the contractor intended to pay for water used: "we certainly intend to pay for what we use in water," the participant recalled reporting.
The council discussed options including putting a temporary meter/fitting on the hydrant, requiring a card/PIN payment system for bulk water, or distinguishing between water used for in-town boring (which the city historically provided) and out-of-town use. Staff said they would identify the correct contracting company name and manager and revise the draft letter to be addressed to Coyote Hydro (with Huxley Communications cc'd). The meeting record shows a council vote to proceed with the letter and to have the mayor sign it; staff will obtain the manager name (a contact name discussed was Levi Bappy) and finalize the wording.
Council asked staff to return with a revised letter that clarifies whether bulk water was to be provided at no cost, which specific contractor used the water, and how the city will measure or charge for future water use.
Next steps: staff will finalize the letter, confirm contractor contact details, consider options for metering or point-of-sale for bulk water, and report back to council.
