Jacksonville council waives tap fee for Poplar Drive property, approves small leak credit

The Village of Jacksonville council unanimously approved a $125.69 leak adjustment for account 02906‑001 and voted to waive the water tap fee for 10470 S. Poplar Drive, citing missing records that fiscal staff said may have been retained as evidence during a prior fraud investigation.

Fiscal Officer Heather Rockwell asked council to accept the Water Committee recommendation not to charge a tap fee at the Poplar Drive address after the Village was unable to locate documentation showing whether the tap had been paid when installed. "The Village is unable to locate records indicating if the tap was paid when it was installed," Rockwell said. Mr. Max Hooper and Mr. Jan Hooper were present at the meeting to answer questions about the property.

Councilperson Angela Strock moved to waive the tap fee; Councilperson Jay Chapman seconded the motion and all council members voted yes. Earlier in the meeting Rockwell requested a leak adjustment for account 02906‑001 (8,265 gallons), which Councilperson Cameron Lowery moved to approve; Councilperson Angela Strock seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Rockwell told the council that some records were moved from a hall closet into the Records Room and organized by year, but that additional records remain to be relocated from the garage. She said some historical records likely were retained as part of a special audit and the Village's fraud investigation, which complicates verification of past tap payments.

The actions are administrative in nature: the leak adjustment reduces a single account charge and the tap fee waiver removes the standard activation fee for the Poplar Drive connection. Council did not attach additional conditions to the waiver at the meeting. The council will handle any further adjustments or related items at future meetings as needed.