Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
The Lee Town Council met on Tuesday, Nov. 1, announcing gradual increases to water and sewer bills for the upcoming year. Price increases will be gradually implemented in order to make the changes easier for customers. There will be a second reading of a proposed amendment to Ordinance 2015-3, updating utility fees. Notices of the hearing on the utility bills will be mailed out in November. The council also established Thursday, Dec. 15, as the date for Christmas light judging. Following the holidays, the Town of Lee will welcome James Ruzicka as mayor, with his term beginning in January. Eddie Bell is retiring after 12 years of faithful service to the community.
The special guest for the meeting was Tri-County CEO Julius Hackett, who came with good news concerning the upcoming availability of county-wide internet service, in partnership with ConneXon Telecom. Hackett was pleased to announce that the much-anticipated service will be available in Lee by 2024, providing symmetrical service of equal upload and download speeds, something few other companies offer. Furthermore, the service will be made available to all residents in the county, not just Tri-County customers. “Duke Energy has been a great partner in this enterprise,” said Hackett. “We are also striving to make this as affordable as possible, with plans beginning at $49 monthly, for 100 megabits per second. Faster speeds of one gig and two gigs per second will be available for $79 and $99 per month. There will also be plans for low-income customers,” according to Hackett. “These plans will not require long-term commitments,” said Hackett. “You can drop them at any time if you are dissatisfied.”
In other news, the council unanimously approved adopting the same paid-holiday schedule that the Madison County Commission follows, which will add Juneteenth and Employee Appreciation Day to the Town of Lee's schedule. Town employees will also be pleased to learn that their Christmas bonuses will increase from $50 to $100, with Town Manager Sona Hayslett receiving $150. Council members expressed their gratitude for the hard work of their employees.
Lastly, Edge of Town, a local business, informed the council of plans to offer special events at their business and sell beer and wine to their customers. Owners Bill and Debbie Eckert stressed that they are not opening a bar and that most events will conclude by 5 p.m. “Our vision is to be able to offer our customers a cold beer or glass of wine while they walk the grounds outside or explore our buildings inside,” stated the Eckerts. “Perhaps the gentlemen would prefer to sit and relax with a cold beverage, while the ladies shop 'til they drop!” The council had no issues with The Edge of Town's plans as long as all state requirements were met.
The next meeting of the Lee Town Council is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 6, beginning at 7 p.m. Meetings are held at Lee City Hall, located at 286 CR 255, in Lee.