Council discusses sewer service company

After talking with a sewer services company at its last meeting to provide residents potential savings on repairs, Jacksboro council members are looking at taking another approach.

The company, Home Sewer, had promised to look with local sewer and plumbing companies to fix problems that were deemed to be the city’s fault. Home Sewer, however, wanted to put the city’s logo on any mailings, which city aldermen and manager Mike Smith had issues with.

“I’m not a huge fan of this, that’s for sure,” Smith explained. “I tried to get something like this done for the last five years.”

Smith said if the company were sued for liability, it could reflect on the city.

“If our logo is on there, it says the city is a partner on this and ties our hands,” Smith said. “We could be potentially liable if sued.”

While Smith and the council believe it’s a great idea, they want to talk to Home Sewer about the language in the letter that ties the company too closely with the city right now. Smith said that regardless it’s going to be the same and the residents think the city are going to solve their problems.

“It’s the logo on it that I have a problem with,” Alderman Craig Fenter said. “It would associate us with the problem.”

Home Sewer has a high rating with the Better Business Bureau but most of those ratings come from the individual contractors the people work with not the company itself, according to Alderman Greg Robinson.

“We need to clearly state in how we’re going to partner with them,” Robinson said.

Smith said he will put together some information in a letter that will be sent to residents. Smith will also advise residents that some homeowner insurance companies might already do this.