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Waynesville ends moratorium on utility disconnections
Moratorium on Waynesville utility disconnections to end
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Apolicy adopted by the Town of Waynesville that was designed to alleviate financial hardship during the early stages of the Coronavirus Pandemic is about to end, and town officials want to be sure no one’s caught by surprise.
“The Town of Waynesville will return to standard utility billing and payment practices beginning November 2, 2020, which means customers in arrears and not participating in a payment plan will receive notices about their past due balances and the earliest possible date their service could be interrupted,” reads a release issued by Autumn Lyvers, the town’s new finance director.
Back in March, aldermen voted to suspend billing-related water and electric shutoffs for its residential customers.
“If there is one thing that worries me more than the thought of catching the coronavirus it’s the damage this is doing to the pocketbooks of our citizens,” Alderman Jon Feichter told The Smoky Mountain News at the time.
The water fund is an enterprise fund, meaning it’s separate from the town’s general fund. When the provision was enacted, the fund had a balance of more than $2.2 million. The town’s electric fund is the same —
Jim Moore rejoins the DA’s office
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch announced Thursday that Jim Moore has joined the 43rd Prosecutorial District as an assistant district attorney.
For Moore, it’s a return to familiar legal terrain. A trial attorney in Western North Carolina for 34 years, 17 of those years were spent as an assistant district attorney.
Though based in Macon County, Moore will work across the seven-county district as needed.
“Jim is an exceptional attorney with a vast amount of experience as a prosecutor,” Welch said. “I’m delighted to have him back on board in the 43rd Prosecutorial District.”
District Court Judge Monica Leslie swore in Moore on Thursday in Macon County Superior Court.
The district has an office in each of the seven counties and, with the addition of Moore, 43 employees, including 14 prosecutors.
Moore and his wife, Connie, met in law school, and have three children, ages 32, 30 and 21. The couple have been working together on Main Street in Waynesville. an enterprise fund separate from the general fund, with a balance of around $3 million.
There was concern that without the threat of disconnection hanging over their heads some customers would simply refuse to pay and build up large balances that would eventually come due. Alderman Anthony Sutton expressed support for the measure at the time, bit also emphasized the importance of payment arrangements for residential customers.
“It needs to be very clear that they’re not going to get [utility service] for free,” said Sutton. “They do have to pay it eventually.”
Indeed, state statute prohibits waiving fees or bills, so customers who couldn’t or wouldn’t pay their bills during the grace period must now do so.
“Customers are eligible for a payment plan to catch up on utility costs accrued during the effective dates of Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive orders — March 31st through July 29th, 2020,” reads Lyvers’ release. “If a payment plan has not already been requested, please contact the Finance Office at 828.456.3515 to enroll in a payment plan and avoid disconnection of service.”
The release also notes that assistance with paying overdue utility bills may be available from the Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency for those who
qualify, or from local charities.
“For the last 20-plus years our family has lived on a small horse farm in the Ironduff community,” Moore said. “When time allows, I love to play golf, hunt and, most importantly, spend time with my family.” Moore and Welch both worked as ADAs until former DA Mike Bonfoey retired in 2013 and they both decided to run to replace him. Jim Moore Welch, a Republican from Macon County, won the election in a landslide in 2014, against Moore.
Moore ran as a Democrat for the DA seat in 2014 and also appeared on the Democratic ticket in the 2018 primary election for Clerk of Court, but he was defeated by fellow Democrat Hunter Plemmons.
However, when Moore ran decided to run for District Court Judge in the 2019 primary, he did so as a Republican, but still lost out to Republican Kaleb Wingate. The Grey Eagle & Worthwhile Sounds Present DRIVE-IN CONCERT SERIES *MAGGIE VALLEY* SPONSORED BY SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS & WNCW
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