In recent meetings, the City Officials have been working on getting a Community Development Block Grant. A New Fair Housing ordinance was approved in the August 10th meeting for the city's charter in preparation to qualify for this grant. What is this grant for and who qualifies for this grant?
Only the most impoverished areas of this city will qualify for this grant. What is this 100% FREE grant money planning to be used for? This grant money will be used for expanding the existing sewer system into the poorest areas of the city to pay for connections of these houses to the City Utility sewer system. These most impoverished areas will get a FREE hook up to the sewer system. Other areas that don't qualify for this grant will be required to pay out of pocket for connection charges to the sewer system when the city plans to connect their areas in the future.
What is wrong with FREE? Aren't there normally strings that go along with FREE? Of Course there is! The city officials think this is GREAT because they can get 100% FREE money what will not increase the city debt. Not only will it not increase the city debt, it will also generate more revenue for the city by increasing the sewer customer base to spread expenses over more people bringing the costs down to everyone. It's a win, win!!
What about the other side of the coin? The poorest people in the city getting these FREE hook ups will not continue to get FREE money to pay for the bills that the city will be sending them for using the sewer services. Who will pay for that? These people have a hard enough time paying their current bills and after they are connected for FREE, they will have another bill for sewer that will charge them anywhere between 200%-400% more that other Polk County rates for similar services depending on their usage. Is this FAIR? We think not! How are these people supposed to come up with this additional money for this sewer bill? They will be forced to either cut back on other basic necessities such as food, clothing, water, electric, medicine, health/dental care, etc. because many of these people can barely afford these necessities now.
Is the city really in the business of protecting the welfare of the city residents, both rich and poor? Or is the city really in the SEWER business?
I have met with Polk City Officials over the years and have always felt that they had no concern with low income residents and if fact they wish they would go away. That is the reason they passed a rezoning ordinance making mobile type homes a non conforming use in most existing
ReplyDeletemobile home areas (like Oakridge Heights and Railroad Heights) To me that was housing descrimination. Actually I dont see how the City can hook up sewer system to a non conforming home anyway. Their own faulty zoning rules should prevent that. Dave Woodman