FRESNO, CA – After hearing about an elderly woman in Central Fresno who was having trouble with a leaky service line in her yard that was causing her utility bill to increase significantly over the past six months, Mayor Lee Brand contacted her family today to assure her that the City of Fresno will help with the necessary repairs for the service line and District 3 Councilmember Miguel Arias has found a private contractor who has donated their services for the removal of the tree that may be causing the damage.
Mayor Brand spoke with Aline Reed, the daughter of 100-year old Corine Reed, this afternoon to tell her that crews would be coming to her home at 2345 S. Bardell Street tomorrow, April 19, to work on the project which should be completed within the day. The funding for the service line repair was provided by an anonymous donor, while the tree removal will be paid for by Jack Benigno Tree Service.
“While the law clearly says the responsibility for repairs on private property rests with the owner, I was moved by Corine’s story and immediately started looking for a solution that would fix the problem,” said Mayor Brand. “It was gratifying to talk with Corine’s daughter today and let her know that help is on the way!”
An analysis of Ms. Reed’s water meter readings showed that the crack in her service line was leaking at a rate of 30 gallons per hour, causing the average monthly charge for water usage on her property to increase from $46.00 to $79.00 a month. The City is waiving the penalties on her utility bill and any delinquency charges for late payments over the past six months.