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Sale of whole water system in Blue Grass up to city voters

The entire water system in Blue Grass, Iowa is up for sale, and it’s up to city voters to approve the change.

BLUE GRASS, Iowa - The entire water system in Blue Grass, Iowa is up for sale, and it's up to city voters to approve the change. It would mean the difference between having a company paying for repairs or putting the bill on taxpayers.

On Thursday, July 30th, 2016 Blue Grass residents heard for the first time how this sale would affect them and some residents went into the town hall meeting with worries.

"What`s gonna happen and who it`s gonna help us or the American Water," said Robert Arnold, Blue Grass resident.

It's a discussion that's lasted through the past two mayors of Blue Grass, whether to maintain their own water system or sell it all to Iowa American Water. Current Mayor, Tim Brandenburg, brought the company back to the negotiation table, and now there's a deal in place to sell it all for $1.3 million, which would then pass all the financial responsibility for repairs and upgrades to Iowa American Water. Brandenburg says that repairs could run close to $6 million with the replacement of their 66-year-old water tower and pipes.

Pipes and water hydrants will have to be replaced no matter what, so now it's up to voters on August 2nd, 2016 to decide who pays for those changes.

"The burden is put on their shoulders to upgrade our water system, especially in our older parts that wouldn't be up to those standards. If we don't sell it, that means we still have to do it and it falls back on the taxpayers," Brandenburg said.

Brandenburg says the city council has unanimously signed off on the deal, but this needs to be a change that voters want to accept.

"It's a very detailed process, and in a small community, it's something that really has to be weighed upon for what is financially acceptable for the citizens," Brandenburg said.

If voters approve the sale to Iowa American Water, it would still take several years to fully switch over to the company's system, but they would fully maintain the city's water system while that switch happens. They would also have a three-year rate freeze for Blue Grass homeowners.

A public meeting about the potential sale of the Blue Grass water system to Iowa American Water is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12th, 2016 at the same place and time.

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