CENTERFIELD—Centerfield City owns roughly 750 secondary water shares and rents 570 of those to the general public, but Mayor Travis Leatherwood has concerns about how the city has been keeping track of the rentals.
“We don’t need to make a decision on this tonight, but we do need to have some discussion and get the ball rolling on how we track our rented shares,” Leatherwood said at the city council meeting on Wednesday, June 15.
When the secondary water system was put in the city, there were several homes that had existed for years that didn’t have a water share. That is where most of the rented shares went. But there are also several newer lots whose owners have rented more shares than their lot size requires.
The mayor wanted to make it clear that he is not upset about people who have more shares than required, and it wouldn’t even matter, if the city weren’t under such dire water restrictions.
“We don’t currently have contracts with those who have rented shares, and I think that is something we need to do,” he said.
One of the suggestions he made was getting everything in writing and possibly renewing share rentals at the first of every year. He said a letter could be sent out each January giving the renters of shares so much time to renew their contracts or forfeit their shares to the people on the waiting list.
Councilman Jaden Sorenson said he would like to make a Centerfield water certificate for each share and give it a number that would be placed into owners’ personal “property” file at the city. He also would like a copy of the water certificate for every person who owns a water shares go in their personal file.
“When someone new comes in here and takes my place, it would make it a lot nicer for them to know what’s going on and where the water is all going,” Sorenson said.
The mayor told the council members to start looking at ideas and to work on getting something in place before Jan. 1.
“I don’t want anyone who has rented a share to be given false hope that they own the water share,” the mayor said. “That is why there needs to be something in writing.”
