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Council approves change making property owners responsible for sewer pump-outs
Summary
The Harrison City Council voted to amend City Code 7-2-14F to make property owners responsible for sewer pump-out expenses; the measure passed 4–2 after public comments raised sewer costs and billing concerns.
The Harrison City Council voted on Aug. 12 to amend Harrison City Code 7-2-14F so that property owners, rather than the city, are responsible for sewer pump-out expenses.
Councilmember Will Butler moved to amend the code; the motion was recorded in the minutes as: "Will Butler made a motion to Amend Harrison City Code 7-2-14F, to where property owners are responsible for sewer pump-out expenses." The motion passed with Councilmembers Charlie Shutt, Joe Cornell, Josephine Prophet and Will Butler recorded as AYE and Councilmembers Debbie Lockhart and John Gray recorded as NAY (4–2).
The amendment follows public comment on sewer issues earlier in the meeting. Resident Rusty Riberich told the council it should "consider increasing sewer fees through adjustments to utility billing," raising the broader question of how the city will handle sewer-related costs going forward.
Supporters of the amendment argued it shifts maintenance costs to property owners who benefit from onsite septic/pump services; dissenting councilmembers expressed concern about burdening some homeowners but specifics of exemptions or implementation timing were not provided in the transcript.
The minutes do not specify an effective date for the code change or administrative steps for notification and enforcement. The council did not record further details about fee structures, exemptions, or a timeline for implementation in the available excerpt.
