Warsaw homeowner raises concerns about town’s record keeping

WARSAW — A $900 bill for an existing water tap brought light to some inefficiencies in the Town of Warsaw’s record keeping during the town board’s regular monthly meeting, last week.  

Cecil Lennon appeared in front of the town board on May 13 to address issues with a bill to install a new tap at an old property he purchased that already had a tap. 

This is not the first time Lennon was asked to pay for a new tap in property he purchased to renovate, nor the first time he had to appear in front of the town board to get solutions. 

Lennon explained if there was water going to the property at some point in the past, there was an existing tap there and he should not have to pay for a new tap. 

“If there is a tap that is already set and it is there, why do I have to pay for a new tap of $900? This is the second time it has happened. Where does the $900 accumulate from and why?” Lennon asked the board. 

The property located on Prospect Street used to be the home of Jay McCoy, according to Commissioner Tommy Jones, who worked in the Public Works Department over two decades ago and knew the family. 

“We’re supposed to have (records) so we can go back and pull records up at any time. There should be some records of Jay McCoy paying water and sewer. … He worked for me, for the town, for 10 years,” said Jones. “I know that property had a water and sewer tap because we made that water and sewer tap.”  

Commissioner Jones shared with the board that in the past when a person moved out of a home, the policy was for the town to take the meter and put a lock on it and when the next person would move in, they would restore the service.  

Lea Turner, Warsaw’s Town Manager said the tap was not a viable line, explaining that after Public Works investigated, they reported the line did not have water. 

“A new tap has to be connected so that you have water to the address,” Turner told Lennon. 

Craig Armstrong, the Public Works supervisor told the board that upon inspection, “there was a three-quarter inch line sticking straight up. No valve, no nothing.”

He explained that the line to the main is across the road and to find out what is going on, and find where the tap is at, they would need to dig up a whole section of the road that has asphalt and cement. Armstrong explained that when his department runs across a viable tap, they let the town manager know so the town can issue a refund. 

“When he talked to me about it, we went over there and the only thing that was there was a three-quarter inch line sticking up out of the meter box. So that tells me right here that the service has not been viable for years,” said Armstrong.

When Lennon questioned Public Works about the shut-off valve, Armstrong responded that his technician put a cap on the line. 

“At first when I inquired about it, they were telling me there was no service there,” said Lennon. “There was no record of service there. So, I took a shovel, and I dug down to that shut-off valve. Buddy went over, cut off the shut-off valve and put a cap on it. Now he is sitting there telling me there was no shut-off valve there. I don’t think that is fair.”

Lennon proceeded to share the photographs he took of the shut-off valve with the board.

After some discussion, the technician asked the mayor to correct himself. 

“I believe it might have been a valve there. Maybe I cut the valve off. In order to make sure there was no water on that line. … When I cut the line, I capped it, but there is no water on the line.” 

Mayor A.J. Connors called for a pause, so the board could address other agenda items and go back to Lennon’s issue at the end.  

Upon returning to the discussion about Lennon’s tap, Armstrong requested to speak and provided a recap of the actions taken by his department, then explained that because they don’t know the location of the tap, he would not recommend digging for it due to the cost involved. 

“In a situation like that, it’s a whole lot easier just to leave that tap abandoned and install a new tap,” said Armstrong. 

After much discussion, the board approved a motion to absorb the cost of the meter for Lennon’s water line. He will be charged a restoration fee. While the Board agreed that record keeping was key, the concern is having enough manpower. 

“Something needs to be done in this town, on the way things are handled,” Lennon told Duplin Journal, pointing out the lack of accountability and the hurdles needed to get some type of resolution.  

“They told me there was no water there — because it was buried — so I physically went out, dug it up, took a picture of it. That is when they called [public Works] for an investigation. Instead of him [technician] reporting back and taking pictures he went, cut the cutoff valve, and put a cap on it and said it was just a pipe on the ground,” said Lennon. 

“I don’t know how long the Town of Warsaw has been doing this to people, but I just happened to be one of the ones who actually spoke out on it.” 

“No one has records of James McCoy paying the water bill. Where is the record at? They didn’t have records of the people on West College Street living there paying the water bill. … The water meter is still there. … “They don’t have records. It doesn’t make sense… The guy lived there and raised his family in that building. I just happened to purchase the property and started renovating the building.” 

“If you got no records, you can’t show credibility,” said Lennon. 

“And when this situation came out the town manager wanted to take my $900 from [the property on West College Street/Highway 24] and apply it to this and asked me to pay another $900 for the sewer tap,” said Lennon. 

“When I got involved, they told me there was no water there. … I took a picture of that meter and the other two boxes. And then they tell me it is disconnected, you gotta pay for a tap,” Lennon told Duplin Journal, adding that he paid for it and later went in front of the board like he did this time. 

“They kept my money for three months before they returned it to me and I was unaware until one of the managers asked me if I got my refund,” said Lennon. 

“I don’t know what kind of shenanigans is going on in the township of Warsaw, but how long has it been going on like this,” he said.