Cortez’s new statewide reputation as a "town without pity" has spurred the Cortez City Council to try and coerce the Cortez Sanitation District into changing its disconnection policy.

After suffering through numerous e-mails, phone calls, and letters from those who blamed the city for the sanitation district’s recent decision to cut a family’s sewer line, the council has decided to pursue an intergovernmental agreement with the district.

"Whatever happened, it was the town that got the black eye, and we really didn’t deserve that," said city attorney Jim Hatter.

Concern about the district’s policies was prompted by a column in the Denver Post in which Cortez was labeled a "town without pity" because a local woman whose middle-aged husband had been disabled by a stroke had her sewer line disconnected for a long-delinquent bill. She reportedly sold her wedding rings to pay to have the service reconnected. She has since said her family is doing all right and needs no help. (See related story)

Under the agreement, which is still tentative at best, the city could turn off water service to residents who had not paid their sewer bills, thus saving the resident from a $500 first-time — or $4,000 second-time — disconnection fee levied by the sanitation district.

"It would save the citizen quite a bit, at least $500," said Mayor Joe Keck.

But the agreement could make the city the proverbial bad guy, especially if residents had paid their water bill, but not their sewer bill.

Currently, the city shuts off water service to residences without sanitation service, so residents lose both services if they haven’t paid their sewer bill.

The city council wants to meet with the sanitation district soon to discuss a possible solution.

"The biggest dilemma that I feel, at least immediately, is finding some type of relief for the residents of Cortez," explained council member Cheryl Walkenhorst. "We’re at a place as a community if you don’t want to see it on the front page of the Denver Post, by George, you better change it."

Council member Jim Herrick said he would advocate a lien system — like Denver’s — where non-paying sanitation customers would have a lien put on their homes until the payment was made.

"The real answer is the lien. Let them take care of their utility, and we’ll take care of our utilities," said Herrick. But Herrick agreed that something had to be done. "I think when you start digging holes and plugging up people’s sewage I think there’s a whole lot of health concerns," he said.

The council could also initiate a public vote on having the city take over the sanitation district, since 85 percent of the district is within the city limits.

Since the city and the sanitation district split in 1991, they have had a stormy relationship. The split was at the sanitation district’s request but was approved by the voters. The district always had its own board, but was under the city’s managment before 1991. Up until the split, residents received one combined bill for both water and sewer.

Bill Smith, the sanitation district’s manager, said that the idea of having an intergovernmental agreement is not new — he has been asking for one for some time.

"I’ve talked to every county manager, every city manager, since I’ve been here and asked them if they would please shut off the water if we have problems with the sewer bill, and the response has always been no," said Smith.