By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

NORTH SHELBY — North Shelby residents are invited to share their concerns on rising sewer rates at a town hall meeting Feb. 4.

The meeting, set for 7 p.m. at Eagle Point Golf Club, will allow residents to discuss problems and possible solutions for the “current sewer rate structure and considerable annual increases,” according to an email from event organizer Tim O’Dell.

According to O’Dell, SouthWest Water Company, the company that runs the sewer plant that services north Shelby County, has increased rates by 165 percent since SouthWest purchased the plant from Shelby County in 2005.

The rate is currently slated to increase from $69.66 to $85.83 this month, according to the email.

“Our residents continually contact SouthWest Water Company, and each time they tell us the rate increases are required and justified and approved by Shelby County,” O’Dell said in the email.

“Residents here believe there is a lack of oversight by the county, and feel that the pain will continue indefinitely” unless county officials act, O’Dell added.

Affected neighborhoods include Eagle Point, Greystone, Greystone Farms, Greystone Glen, Greystone Legacy, Greystone Ridge, Greystone Village, Northlake at Greystone, Stonebridge, Summer Place, The Cedars and The Cove of Greystone, O’Dell said.

Shelby County Commissioners Lindsey Allison and Rick Shepherd will be at the meeting, according to the email.

The last 30 minutes of the meeting will be devoted to questions from the audience.

A message left with SouthWest Water Company seeking comment was not immediately returned.