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Town and county debate metering new fire hall and billing approach for shared water use
Summary
Officials discussed installing a meter for the new fire hall and options for billing (single meter with submeter, summer-rate billing, or per-gallon overage). One commissioner said the town was told it cannot "give water away," prompting suggestions to document in-kind exchanges in the agreement.
Town and county officials discussed how to meter and bill water used by the community center and the new fire hall during a joint meeting Aug. 20.
A county official said the community center's submeter showed 856 gallons used in a recent month. The county and town debated whether to install one main meter with a submeter for the community center or separate meters for the fire hall and community center to make usage transparent. One commissioner raised concerns about accountability when applying for grants and said, "we cannot legally give water away," while others suggested the exchange could be documented in the interlocal agreement as an in‑kind service exchange.
Options discussed included placing a single 4-inch (4,000) meter and using a submeter to track internal consumption; charging the county a summer rate for irrigation months; or setting a base allotment and charging per-gallon overage above that threshold. The county attorney suggested writing allowances into the agreement so auditors can see recorded exchanges and ensure grant compliance.
No final billing decision was reached. Officials agreed to include metering options and billing thresholds in the draft interlocal agreement the county attorney will prepare for review.
Next procedural steps: the county attorney will include metering language in the draft agreement and circulate it to both sides for review.
