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VIDALIA, La. — The Vidalia Board of Aldermen approved a 50 percent utility rebate at a special called meeting last week.

However, there may be some contingencies attached for those who are not current on their utility bills.

During the meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 24, the Vidalia Board of Aldermen approved a rebate of $2,833,938, which represents 50 percent of the town’s total kilowatt-hour usage last calendar year from January through December.

The hydro royalty rebate generated by the Sydney A. Murray Jr. Hydroelectric Station is a perk the town has received since the plant went online in 1990, as the town owns interest in the hydroelectric station. Governing officials have the option to refund up to 50 percent of the customers’ utility bills every year.

The rebate is down from the $3,143,838 rebated to customers the previous year because the town’s total usage was down, Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft said during Tuesday’s meeting.

He also said those who are “habitually delinquent” or not paying their utility bills on time may not receive a check at all, but instead get a credit toward their utilities.

“If you want your check, pay your bill,” he said.

Traditionally they utility customer would get the difference back in a check, even if the difference is small.

“I’m going to probably ask the council this year for us to make it so that if the balance after the rebate is $500 or less, they will not get the check. We will just have to leave that in for the balance, especially for individual who are habitually past due on their bill,” Craft said. “Now, I hate for it to be that way but they work us to death in the office when they have a little balance of anywhere from $20 or $30 or whatever it might wanting to get that difference in a check.”

Alderman Robert Gardner contested the proposal of requiring the rebate to be greater than $500 for the customer to receive a check, saying some of his constituents “have a hard time” and rely on the rebate even if it’s only $100.

“My phone is going to ring if we don’t give those people their check,” he said. Gardner also encouraged those who have a problem with not receiving their rebate if its not more than $500 to come to the Aldermen meeting to let their concerns be heard.

“Come to the meeting so you can speak up for yourself,” Gardner said.

No actions were taken to adjust the rebate requirements during the meeting on Tuesday. However, Craft said, “We’re going to be discussing that at length here this next month.”

In other matters, the aldermen accepted a bid for Phase One of the William T. Polk Park expansion, located next to the Vidalia Municipal Complex.

The town set aside $1.6 million of its hydroelectric royalty revenue for this project, which would include new playgrounds, updated pavilions, a fitness court, a splash pad along with several other amenities in the future.

Craft said all three project bids were over the engineer’s estimate of $1.5 million, but the town could get away with accepting the lowest bid by making some adjustments such as using asphalt pavement instead of concrete for the new parking lot.

“We may leave it like it is, depending on what the council wants to approve,” Craft said, “but first we need to accept the low bid which is nearly $100,000 cheaper than the other two.”

The aldermen approved the lowest bid Tuesday from Bayou Rapides Corporation of Alexandria for $1,942,023. The other two bids came from Camo Construction of Vidalia for $2,052,976 and G. Rayborn Contracting of Natchez for $2,083,635.