Fountain utilities outlines payment-arrangement rules, assistance funds and recent volumes

Dan Blankenship, Fountain’s utilities director, introduced a customer-service briefing on March 18 and invited Brett Robinson, the city’s customer service manager, to address recent public concerns about utility-bill assistance.

Brett Robinson told the council that in early 2025 Fountain Utilities offered about 224 payment arrangements in the first two months of the year; Robinson said the department averaged roughly 1,200 payment arrangements per year historically, with about 1,056 in the most recent full year and about 1,142 in 2023. "We are helping," Robinson said, describing payment arrangements, eligibility rules and referral networks.

Robinson outlined eligibility rules the department enforces for payment arrangements: customers may request one arrangement per quarter (up to four per year); requests must be made during normal business hours and no later than the bill due date; customers must not have defaulted on any previous payment arrangement in the prior 12 months; and customers must not have been disconnected more than once in the previous 12 months. Balances in excess of 90 days past due or more than $750 generally must be paid down before entering a new arrangement, Robinson said.

Robinson described the city’s assistance partnerships, including the Lighten the Load program (funded from a portion of late fees) and Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC). He said Lighten the Load is funded from assessed late fees and that the program receives a fixed portion (12%) of each $10 late fee (one dollar and 20 cents per assessed late fee) to administer assistance through community partners.

Robinson provided multi-year assistance totals and said the utilities department refers customers who exceed local thresholds to outside assistance agencies. He also told council the city will provide printed materials and community contacts so residents know where to apply for outside assistance.

Council members asked for practical next steps for households that exceed eligibility thresholds; staff said such customers are referred to assistance agencies that have their own eligibility rules and that, in some cases, paying down older debt to meet the city’s threshold can make a customer eligible for a payment arrangement later. Blankenship and Robinson encouraged residents to call customer service early — before the due date — to arrange payment plans and referrals. Brett Robinson asked that council and the public route follow-up questions to him directly.