20160819Comment.pdf

Jean Jewell
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Sent:
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Subject:
Friday, August 19, 2016 11:42 AM
Beverly Barker; Jean Jewell; Gene Fadness
Case Comment Form: Daniel Jones
Name: Daniel Jones
Case Number: MVW-W-16-01
Email: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]
Address: 3937 E 185 N
Rigby Idaho, 83442
Name of Utility Company: Mountain View Water
Comment: Daniel A. Jones
3937 East 185 North
Rigby, ID 83442
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Reference: MVW-W-16-01
Moring View Water Company request to increase monthly payments
To Whom It May Concern:
Please allow me to start, by providing a little back ground on myself and my family. My wife and I and two children are
probably the newest members of the subdivision in question. We recently purchased our home, of the address above in
July of this current year. Prior to the purchase of our home we spent many months searching and researching the
possibilities we had for buying a home on a limited income. We were naturally drawn to this subdivision based on the
relatively affordable prices of the homes in the area. We like many began to work on a budget, in which we researched
utilities of all the surrounding areas. After many long sleepless nights analyzing our finances we made the conclusion
that purchasing a home was in fact cheaper than the rent of the local areas. Please allow me to acknowledge that if we
could afford to pay One Hundred (100) Dollars a month for utilities we would have chosen to purchase a home inside
the city limits. The biggest reason we refused to consider many newer nicer homes in the Rigby City limits was that the
city utilities alone were Ninety-Eight (98) dollars a month (this includes, water, sewer, and garbage). We were greatly
excited at the relatively low cost of utilities presented by living in the county and taking advantage of a septic system
which would remove a large portion of our monthly utilities. The remaining would be water and garbage only. I do not
believe that $81.88 a month is fair let alone ethical for water alone. Also there begs the question as to how they come
up with these numbers? For a property with twice as much acreage there is only a difference of $17.08. With this
increase expectation I would also expect some transparency on how this money is to be used and how does it benefit
each and every house hold in this area.
I currently work fulltime while simultaneously attending College fulltime. My Wife does not work outside of the home in
effort to raise our two children. I do not mention this to raise sympathy to myself or our current situation. Rather I use
this to illustrate an example of the type of community the Morning View Water subdivision is comprised of. I had the
opportunity to read several other comments prior to writing this letter and I was surprised that, while we haven't lived
here all that long I was able to relate too many of my neighbors many of whom I have yet to meet. This area is
comprised of limited incomes and strict budgets. So again, while I do not seek sympathy for my current situation I ask
that a reasonable solution be met that satisfies all parties. I feel that the proposed rate increase is by far outside the
means of most if not all home owners in this area.
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I would like to take a small moment and talk about the Morning View Water Company as a company. I was surprised at
my first encounter at the utter disarray of the office in which this business is conducted. There were files and papers
everywhere. Banker's boxes and piles of folders and papers covered the desk of the known office for the Morning View
Water Company. Little if any organization could be discerned. I was told to excuse the mess as they were currently
under an audit of a state water utility commission. I didn't think much of it as I was hurrying to set up the change or
service request to transfer water from the previous owner to myself. Let me first say that prior to arranging this
appointment to meet, my wife had called on multiple occasions in which she was unable to even communicate with the
man who answered the phone, yet he continued to answer the business number provided to us to complete the water
transfer. It has been told to us that he is hard of hearing and it is best to only speak to his wife. There are no known
office hours and creates an inconvenience when trying to meet with or conduct business with them.
This experience has lead me to a conclusion that I feel that the current ownership and or management is underqualified
to run such a complex and ever changing service oriented business. The lack or organization scares me and creates a
worry as to their ability to keep and track accurate meter records. While I do not know personally the owner(s) and
operator(s) of Morning View Water Company It is not my intention to defame or slander their names I am merely
concerned at the ability of the company to accurately and fairly calculate a metered monthly bill.
In conclusion I recognize that I am paying for a service and such services are subject to rates established by the
businesses of whom I am receiving services from, however, based on the information being gathered there is not a local,
city or county water utility company that currently charges as steep of a rate. Again while I know that the Morning View
Water Company is a business subject to operating overhead expenses, the rates should also not put an entire
subdivision "under water'' in personal finances.
Thank you for all the time, consideration, and thought that this letter may receive. I hope that a manageable outcome
will be of benefit to all parties.
Sincerely,
Daniel A. Jones
Unique Identifier: 174.126.186.40
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