Fifty owners of Metamora property have yet to connect to the new Metamora Regional Sewer District.

“The deadline for all to hook up is April 15,” reports district President Michael Moore. “Due to weather conditions, we may be able to extend that a month, but this will need board approval before we can change it.” Owners are responsible for buying a permit for $75 from board members Jean Owens or Ray Robinson.

“At some point in time we’re going to get hard-nosed about it,” he admitted March 14. “Some people are dragging their feet.” Because sewer connections are mandated by state statute, households that disobey may face a fine, Moore said.

The good news: 111 pieces of property are connected and an additional 19 permits have been purchased and will be hooked up soon.

District board members face another challenge. As of the February billing, 78 customers were behind in payments totalling about $35,000. “We should be collecting approximately $14,000 a month,” making the annual budget about $168,000.

A January letter from the board was first sent out asking every delinquent customer to pay up or penalties of 10 percent would be assessed.

“Up to this point we had not been charging any penalties,” Moore pointed out.

When that letter was unsuccessful, a second letter was mailed in February by Jones & Dorenbusch, a Batesville law firm.

The board decided to get tougher on those in arrears, changing from penalty fees to liens.

The president explained, “No liens have been placed on any properties yet. We are giving all delinquent accounts until March 15 to pay up. Customers who have called me (520-331-1426) and made arrangements to pay their bills in full within 12 months will not have liens placed on their properties.”

The sewer district is making payments on its $1.1 million Rural Development loan, but if customers persist in ignoring their bills, “we will default on the loan,” Moore said. “Our budget and sewer fees are set up to where we make no profit. All the money collected is to pay the loan and the bills to operate the plant.”

Moore noted, “We are required by the state to make this work. If we cannot meet our budget, the government will come in and take over the operation and sell it to a private firm.

“All private firms are in the business to make money, ... so if it gets sold, the bills would be higher than they are now.”

Currently, monthly sewer bills are $64.79 for residences, between $81.69 and $105.63 for businesses depending on grinder pump types and $30 for vacant lots.

“Everyone on the board is working to find ways to reduce the cost of the sewer system,” the president noted. Two proposals are being considered: a $50 per vendor impact fee during Canal Days that would generate $80,000; or a $1 per car impact fee that could amount to “several thousands of dollars.”

Moore added, “We welcome other ideas to bring money to the sewer system. We’ll be sending a postcard invitation to a meeting to all paying customers.”

He stressed, “We do not want to implement these programs unless we get full buyin by the Metamora community. If we work together as a community, we can make this system work and bring the sewer bill payments for every customer down to a reasonable rate.”