While property owners in some areas just outside the Smithville city limits have shown interest in annexation, some members of the board of aldermen expressed the opinion that the remaining areas of the city not hooked to the city sewer system be attended to before any further annexation takes place.
During last week's meeting of the city council, Alderman Shawn Jacobs brought the matter to the attention of the mayor and aldermen, saying that grant money should be sought to alleviate the problem of some city residents' lack of access to the sewer system.
"There are houses in the city limits that don't have sewer," Jacobs told the assembly. "I know we also have some areas that have requested annexation. What is keeping us from running sewer to the houses that are currently in the city limits that don't have sewer?" he asked.
"I certainly think we should provide them sewer before we start thinking of annexing any other areas that might be requested or specified in our five-year land use plan. There may be some grant money available."
Mayor Jimmy Poss replied that the matter had already occurred to him, and told the board that grants for sewer projects have already been applied for. "I did put (a grant application) in for that very thing," the mayor said. "If we get any that's what I want to use it for. I told them then that we'd like to have some grant money to do a sewer rehab or sewer lines."
Poss said that interest has been shown in the annexation of some areas on the west side of town into the city limits, but it has not advanced any farther than the disscussion stage, "There was some talk about annexation on the west part of town, but I haven't heard back on anything positive in that way," Poss told the board.
"I just think that before we even consider any kind of annexation, we should be providing sewer to everybody in the city limits," said Alderman Jacobs. "I just wondered by we weren't doing that already," he added.
"The only one I know of (with no sewer access) is one street and part of it is in the city and part is in the county," said Poss.
"There are some houses on Riley Avenue that don't have sewer," said Alderman Tim Stribling.
"You're right. I know now where you're talking about," Poss replied. "We can look into it and see why."
Jacobs said he felt that all city residents should be offered the service.
“They are paying taxes just like everybody else, and we ought to try to provide them service," Jacobs said. "Yeah, but they don't pay sewer rates," Poss replied.
"But if possible I think we should extend to them the opportunity," said Jacobs "Let us look into that and we'll come back next time," the mayor concluded.