Georgetown Council To Answer Questions On Water Sale To Mine

City officials in Georgetown say they are ready to answer any questions pertaining to the June agreement to sell water to a mining company. A public meeting Friday was called by the city council.

Alderman Carl Johnson said this should end misconceptions that discussions with Indiana-based Sunrise Coal were held in secret.

"Our city sells water," he said. "And we sell to anybody that wants to buy, basically.  And all of a sudden, people don’t want us to sell water. I don’t understand that.”

Georgetown’s agreement to sell up to 500,000 gallons of raw water a day was approved June 17, after the same contract was rejected by the Village of Homer. 

The Homer Village Board did approve a separate contract for the sale of treated water.

Johnson said the city had to borrow about $2 million from the state in order install its large water line about a decade ago, and the agreement with Sunrise will help officials pay it off. 

He said the line was purchased for the express purpose of bringing in industry. 

The city council asks that all questions from the public be submitted in writing before the start of the meeting. It is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Mary Miller Junior High cafeteria in Georgetown.