MARATHON, Fla. — A Marathon, Fla., City Council member has come up with a plan to help the Maytag Clean Laundry, which is facing a $149,000 sewer bill, stay afloat.City Councilman Dick Ramsay’s plan would let Maytag Clean Laundry owner Donna Farmer “rent” wastewater equivalent dwelling units (EDU) from the city instead of purchasing them outright. Farmer would pay $42.33 per month for every EDU required to run the business — a figure derived from the $508 annual cost for residents who amortize their wastewater payment over 20 years.Property owner Ed Putz says he’s not willing to invest so much money in EDUs, and Farmer says she doesn’t want to make that kind of a long-term commitment, according to the Florida Keys Keynoter.“My concern was if I had to go up too high in price to afford them, and the customers can’t afford it, that I couldn’t stay in business,” Farmer said, according to the Keynoter. “I didn’t want long-term liability like that.”City Manager Clyde Burnett told the Keynoter that the city would own the EDUs and be responsible for them if the laundry went out of business.(Editor’s note: see previous coverage of this story here and here.)
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].