The Romeo Observer - Romeo, Michigan: Northern Macomb County's weekly newspaper since 1866

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CURTIS OSTRANDER	DUAINE HARDING
ELEANOR TODD	ELMER "BUD" HAHN
GERVASE KILEY	MARIAN SUTTON
ORLO KIRKUM	SLAVA KOKOTOVICH
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Village council talks about high cable bills, water issue

by JENNIFER PRESTON
Observer Staff Writer

      For Romeo residents tired of high cable bills, Village Council Member Greg Jacobson has a simple piece of advice: Call Comcast and complain.
       Over the past few months, the council has discussed Comcast's rates and franchise fees. Jacobson was looking into other companies, like Wide Open West (WOW), which services Shelby Township, coming into Romeo to offer possible competition to Comcast and force the company to lower its rates.
       Jacobson found that WOW would not be interested in spending money on the infrastruction to come to Romeo at this time, for fear that Comcast would just drop its prices to remain competitive. He presented this information at the village council meeting March 15.
       "The other choices we have are satellite or something other than a cable modem," Jacobson said. "We have no chance really of getting competition in the area."
       Seeing no other alternative, Jacobson, who said he pays Comcast about $92.50 a month for approximately 60 cable channels and Internet service, called the number on his Comcast bill and asked about the high charges. Comcast proceeded to take approximately $30 off of his bill, he said.
       He recommended that other Romeo residents tired of the high premiums charged by Comcast do the same thing.
       "If they did it for me, they legally have to do it for everyone," he said.
       Also at the meeting, council members received an update from engineer Hubbell, Roth & Clark that the extension of the Village of Romeo water system served by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) to supply the industrial districts of Bruce and Armada townships may be one step closer to becoming a reality, provided two new water mains are installed and a pump is replaced.
       Following the meeting of village officials with the DWSD in February, the engineer forwarded copies of the village industrial district's current water system model to the board's planning department. Copies of the existing conditions model and of the future conditions model with the Bruce and Armada supply districts added to the model were provided. The model data was to be used by the DWSD to determine if the existing connection and water system can accommodate the additional flow required to supply these areas.
       The computer model of the future conditions indicates that modifications would be required to the water system to adequately supply these new areas. The improvements include a 16-inch parallel water main along 32 Mile Road, a 16-inch water main along Powell Road and the replacement of pump number four within the booster station. If these improvements are completed, additional service areas can be supplied through the existing DWSD connection used by the Ford Engine Plant and the village's industrial district, both located along 32 Mile.
       At the meeting, the village council also:
       € granted three separate Industrial Facilities Taxation Exemption Certificates (IFTs) to Romeo Mold Technologies, Inc., for three separate pieces of equipment.
       € voted to adopt the United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Drug Free Workplace Policy to be used as an official document for the village's Department of Public Works.
       € heard a presentation from a representative of East Pond Enterprises/REI, which is helping to sponsor the Romeo Skate Park Committee's final fundraiser, a garbage bag sale. The council members were encouraged to support and participate in the sale by buying bags from those Romeo students participating. Any interested party should call (586) 752-6255.