By Ray King
A committee of the Pine Bluff City Council on Wednesday was given information on an insurance program to help homeowners cover costs associated with water and sewer line problems.
Called the National League of Cities Service Line Warranty program, the program has also been approved by the Arkansas Municipal League and is currently in place in nine cities in the state.
Emile Zalfini, who works for Home Service, the company that offers the program, explained how it worked.
She said the company handles all the aspects of the program itself, from marketing to billing to claims and there is no cost to the city to participate.
Zalfini said the program is available with three separate options.
In response to a question from Committee Chairman Council Member Ivan Whitfield about costs, Zalfini said the monthly fee for water line problems is $6.49 per month, for sewer line problems is $8.49 per month and for water and sewer lines inside a house is $9.99 per month.
Councilmember Joni Alexander asked Zalfini how can you sell a program like the one she was talking about in a community where roughly 50 percent of home occupants rent and the other 50 percent own the property and a poverty rate that would make it difficult to pay up to $102 a month.
Zalfini was also asked how this program would benefit the city, the public and the company.
