The Bethel Village Council met Monday and discussed leveling the playing field for the owners of an apartment complex in the village.
According to Michael Shiverski, Bethel village administrator, a property recently purchased by a Missouri company is being charged a commercial rate for water when it should be charged the lower residential rate.
“The new owner is Yarco Company and they are out of Kansas City, Missouri,” said Shiverki. “The purchased the property in July of 2006 along with a property in Owensville. They compared water rates and Bethel was much higher because the village is charging a commercial rate rather than a residential rate, although it is all residential properties. The reason behind that was it was rumored the past owners would charge up the water rate after they bought it from the village. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.”
Shiverski said that the village could opt to revert billing back to a residential rate, or even require Yarco to sign an agreement not to add to the cost of the water they purchase from the village.
“The solicitor and I discussed that, if we had some documentation from Yarco saying that they wouldn’t mark it up, would council be willing to charge the residential rate,” said Shiverski.