Fieldsboro’s water bill due Aug. 1
By:Jeff Mikalaitis
BORDENTOWN CITY-Mayor Zigmont Targonski said Tuesday that for the first time, Fieldsboro Borough has failed to make a payment for the water the city provides to it.
The $12,000 quarterly payment was due Aug. 1.
Township Commissioner James Lynch said because Fields-boro has not paid its bill on time, he assumed it would be treated the same as any other customer who is late in paying a bill.
Mayor Targonski said municipal employees sent out notices to people who haven’t paid the bill, including Fieldsboro, informing them that if the bill is not paid by Aug. 28, the water would be shut off.
He said the township sells Fieldsboro water in bulk at a rate less than other customers pay.
"Fieldsboro owns their own water lines and they distribute water to their customers," he said.
Mayor Targonski added the city wouldn’t really shut off Fieldsboro’s water, because of safety issues.
He said he was confused over why a payment had not been received.
He said he hoped it was just an oversight, and not motivated by Fieldsboro Mayor Edward Tyler’s recent litigation against the city to stop a new water line from being put in on Burlington Street.
"Since Mayor Tyler was unsuccessful in his lawsuit, I don’t know if this is one of his plays," he said. "I don’t know what could’ve happened.
Mayor Targonski said the litigation has been postponed until Sept. 15. The water main project begun on Aug. 14.
The water main running from the Gilder water tower on Crosswicks Street, down Burlington Street to the Johnstone Juvenile Correctional Facility will be replaced with a 12-inch main this year to increase water pressure to the facility and to comply with state requirements.
The new water main will be cross-connected at Farnsworth, Prince and Willow streets in the city.
Mayor Tyler has voiced concerns that Fieldsboro could be negatively affected by the change.
Mayor Tyler said he attributes an oversight to the fact that the bill hasn’t been paid.
"There would be no reason why we wouldn’t pay it," he said. We have an issue with the city about the water line, but that is unrelated."
Mayor Tyler said the borough has recently changed treasurers, and that could account for the oversight.
He said on the Aug. 14 Borough Council meeting, the water bill was on the bill list, and approved.
"If they choose to charge us late fees, we will pay them," he said. "We believe in paying for what we get."