KERMIT — Residents of the Jennie’s Creek community learned how they can cooperate to ensure they have a water system, a longtime goal of the Mingo County Commission.

Randall Lewis with the Mingo County Public Service District explained the process.

“I know its been hard, and you’ve waited a long time, and now the project is fully funded,” Lewis said. “This system will tie in with Dingess phase II, from the Breeden tunnel to the Mingo-Wayne county line.”

Lewis said the system is dependent on obtaining easements and user agreements from 80 percent of residents to move forward.

“We have a draft set of plans and preliminary user agreements and easements for you,” he said. “When we have the 80 percent, we can file with the PSD.”

He said 16 to 20 more households need to sign up for water service.

The user agreements require residents to agree to subscribe to water service. The minimum monthly bill would be $22.04 for 2,000 gallons of water.

Tennis Canterbury will be in the community talking to residents about the water system and providing them with user agreements as well as easements to sign. He said he would do whatever was necessary to ensure residents can complete the process. He and other MCC employees will meet with people in their homes if it is needed.

In addition to signing the necessary paperwork, those who want the service need to pay a tap fee of $100. Some of those attending the meeting asked about neighbors who were living on a fixed income and would have difficulty paying the tap fee.

“We will work with you,” MCC President John Mark Hubbard said. “When people from the Dingess area were paying their tap fees, many of them did not pay it all up front.

At least half of Dingess residents paid in payments, some as little as $10 per month, he said

“If people have a financial need, they simply need to call us,” Hubbard said. “If you wait until the system is installed, the tap fee goes up to $350.”

Hubbard reassured Jennie’s Creek funds paid for tap fees were secure.

“If, heaven forbid, something would happen and the project wouldn’t go forward, you will receive a refund,” he said. “The tap fees are put in a separate account.”

In addition to water service to their homes, Jennie’s Creek residents will also have fire hydrants within 1,000 feet of each home.

Commissioner Greg Hootie Smith emphasized how crucial the user agreements and easements are to the project.

“The 80 percent is very important,” Smith said. “Everyone says they want water, but its sometimes hard to get people to sign up. Please encourage your neighbors, we can’t move forward without them.”

Several of the 50 plus people attending the meeting asked the commissioners to be transparent about the process.

“We will keep you informed,” Hubbard told them. “We made this promise to Dingess, and we kept it, and we are making it to you now. We have done everything we can do, now its up to you.”