Public works department addresses sewer problems at two residences

Selma’s public works department addressed problems with backed up sewage at two homes last week.

Two homeowners reported that sewage was backing up into their homes, and city workers would not address the problem because of a work slowdown in protest of a draft of the budget that did not include raises for city employees.

The council passed resolutions to spend up to $25,000 for each home to have a private contractor deal with the issue because the public works department had declined to deal with the issues at that time of the vote. At its work session on Oct. 20, the council was told that the public works department had gone to both homes, making the resolutions unnecessary.

The problem was repaired at one home. At the other home, the problem was found to be on the owner’s side of the sewer hookup, which means it was the homeowner’s responsibility to repair it.