By Kerri Rempp
More than $66,600 in special assessments due to the City of Chadron were released as being uncollectible Monday.
The council approved releasing the assessments, which had been levied for paving and water improvement districts to clean up its books. Planning and Zoning Administrator Janet Johnson said the assessments are on properties that have defaulted on property taxes and been sold on a tax sale. The assessments, though they were recorded with the county, were not part of the tax sales and cannot be collected. Many of them were levied more than 15 years ago in the Cedar Buttes development and are well past the legally allowable collection date, Johnson said.
In another utility matter, City Manager Tom Menke noted that several property owners received letters regarding their water service lines this week.
The city must provide an inventory of its lines and what they are made of to the state.
“There are no concerns with the water,” Menke said. “I want to stress that. The water we produce is safe.”
The mandated inventory requires that property owners be notified if their service line is of galvanized, lead or unknown material. The service line to the household from the city water main is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain and upgrade. Property owners are asked to reach out to the city if they received an “Unknown” status letter, for assistance in determining the type of line. Lead lines must be replaced from the water main to the first valve past the meter.