Man asks to hook into city water/sewer for new rentals

City employee Jessi Price told the council that the city was contacted recently by Eddie Collins, who has purchased a piece of property that sits outside the city limits behind the MoDOT shed on MM Highway and the Gainesville Veterinary Hospital off Wildwood Drive. Collins is planning to build multiple rental homes on the property, and he’s asked if he could tap into the city’s water line, and potential sewer line, for the planned rental residences. The city does have some residences outside city limits hooked into the city water line, and those residents pay a double water bill to account for their absence of paying city taxes, she explained.

Price said one issue with that request is that the water lines on Wildwood Drive and MM Highway are both located on the opposite side of those roads, meaning the city would need to bore under those highways to install a tap that would then allow Collins to run pipe to the tap, at his own expense. 

Maintenance Supervisor Mike Davis said he called around to see what it would cost to bore under the road, and he was given the quotes of $20,000 and $15,600 with the bore costing an additional $4,000 to $5,000, he said. 

Price said the sewer line would be easier to get access to, although it would require installing a lot pipe to reach the property in question.

Although the topic was on the agenda, Collins didn’t show up to discuss it. Price said they’ve attempted to call the phone number he gave them, but it was not a working number. The council tabled the discussion until Collins can provide more information about his request.