Franklin BOC Says No to Running Water Line to Church For Free

A Franklin County church will have to come up with a way to pay for the labor if they want the county to run a water line to their building.

At their work session last week, the Franklin County board of Commissioners heard from members of Zidon Baptist Church on Zidon Road.

Rev. Jerry Cress told the board the well water at the church has a high iron content and is not drinkable.   They also need fire protection.

However, county manager Billy Morse said it would be expensive for the county to run a water line from an existing line about a mile away.

“The closest water line is on Roach Road, which is approximately 1,100 feet away,” Morse said. “Their request is for the county to extend that water line at no expense to them. As you know, the county has a line extension policy in which the property owner pays for the materials and the county installs the line. If the church decides to go this route it would cost them approximately $5,500 for the materials.”

Morse also pointed out the county has a water line priority list and the church is not on it.  Cress said the church did not have $5,000 needed to pay for the labor and materials.

“If we started exempting and paying all of it ourselves for each church that makes a request for an extension, who knows where we may be headed,” noted Frankin County Commission chair Thomas Bridges. 

Tom Bridges called on the board to brainstorm to come up with a way to help the church pay for the labor to extend the county water line.  Several commissioners suggested the church hold fund raisers to raise the money needed to pay for the labor.

After hearing from Cress, the board to no other action.