To provide water to a new customer on Bell Road, a local water association will have to dig portions of the road up to make the proper water connection.
But Supervisor Willie Wright said he is concerned about the shape the road will be left in following the connection from Central Yazoo Water Association, adding that he just spent $100,000 repairing the rural road.
His concern led to some tension during the recent Yazoo County Board of Supervisor meeting with Wright stating that he felt people were “trying to go behind his back.”
“We have a customer who is requesting water, and he has already paid for his connection,” said Pat Peeples, on behalf of Central Yazoo Water Association. “We have to provide him water. The water is in the road, and we are going to have to dig the edge of the road up to connect it.”
“The indication is that you don’t want us doing it,” Peeples said, to Wright. “We can’t discriminate against anybody who wants water for any purpose. If they pay their dues and for their meter setting, we are obligated to do that. If we don’t do that, our certification can be taken away.”
Wright said he is all about serving people, but he admits he has concern over the fact that $100,000 was recently spent to repair Bell Road.
Peeples added that the water line is not in the middle of Bell Road, but “it is pretty close.” He also said the water association has investigated to see if they could come in from a tap at another location, but that it can’t be done.
“You back up,” Wright said. “You are tearing the road up. Who is going to fix the road?”
“We are going to do all that we can…” Peeples replied.
“We done spent $100,000 on a road,” Wright said. “What I didn’t like is to try to go behind my back and try to go over my head. I don’t appreciate that, and I don’t like it.”
Wright said he is not trying to prevent anyone from receiving water.
“But if you are going to mess that road up, you are going to fix it back right,” Wright said. “I am not talking about putting some (gravel) down to patch it. We (the county) bring asphalt back, but you don’t ever bring asphalt. If you are going to do this here, you are going to fix that road back right.”
Peeples said Central Yazoo Water Association has no way to bring in asphalt.
“All we have ever done is replace with gravel or whatever we can get,” Peeples said. “We will check with Delta Asphalt or whoever to see if we can get them to patch the road. But it is still going to be a patch though. It will never be as good as…”
“I understand that,” Wright replied. “But it needs to be better than leaving it like you have been leaving it.”
Peeples said, in the past, Central Yazoo Water Association would get the road “back up to grade,” and then the county would patch the road.
“I would hope that with us as Central Yazoo Water and you as the county that we care enough about our constituents, whoever they may be, that we will work together to do the best thing we can for them.”
Wright said he does not want to stop anyone from receiving a water connection. But he admits he did not appreciate the water customers trying “to go over his head.”
“But don’t let them think they can go over my head,” Wright said. “You can’t go around Deuce. You (Peeples) weren’t involved with that. And I can’t stop you from digging, but I want you to fix it.”
By the end of the discussion, Central Yazoo Water will make the water connection and patch the road to the best of their ability. The county will come behind them and continue to repair the road.
“If it has to be fixed, it will be fixed,” Wright said. “Let’s do what we have got to do. I just don’t appreciate anybody trying to go behind my back.”
