At the Aug. 28 meeting of the Pinellas Park City Council, a local commercial property owner raised concerns about proposed water billing changes and new metering procedures, telling council the changes would leave landlords paying for water they do not use while local tenants struggle financially.

Sharon Simmering (who gave her name and address at the podium) told council she owns a 12‑unit professional office center and has been tracking her building’s meter weekly. “I never mind paying for what I get. I’ll pay — I’ll buy whatever I need to buy and I’ll pay the going rate. But I resent paying for things that I’m not using,” Simmering said. She said her bills and her meter readings no longer appear to match and that a new billing system and charge structure could leave her responsible for water associated with vacant or rarely used units.

Simmering told council she has lost tenants following last year’s storm and said the pandemic and current economy have reduced demand for small office space. She asked the city to retain flexibility to adjust bills for vacant units and to avoid locking customers into a system that would penalize landlords when tenants leave.

City staff noted the city purchases potable water from Pinellas County, a fact Simmering was reminded of during the exchange, and council members said staff has been sending letters and working with customers on meter changes and rate notices. The record shows the utility manager Don Vaughn has been working directly with Simmering on her billing questions; staff also indicated an electronic meter/usage app had not yet been deployed at her location.

No formal action was taken during the meeting on Simmering’s request. Council members who spoke encouraged continued work with affected customers and noted that wholesale water costs from the county are a driving factor in local utility rates.

Why it matters

Changes to meter technology or billing methodology can disproportionately affect small commercial landlords who preserve small‑scale office space. Simmering’s remarks highlighted tenant turnover after storms and the local economic pressures facing small businesses and landlords; she urged the city to consider mechanisms that avoid charging for service not actually consumed.

Speakers in this item

- Sharon Simmering — property owner and speaker during public comment (gave address on the record).
- Don Vaughn — referenced as the city’s utility manager and noted as having worked with the speaker on meter/billing questions.
- (City officials and council members responded during the exchange; where a specific speaker could not be tied to a direct remark in the transcript, the article leaves those clarifications unattributed.)