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City manager details years of incorrect water billing; city pauses enforcement and offers payment arrangements
Summary
The city manager told commissioners the utility billing system used standard estimated reads rather than actual meter reads for multiple years, and staff are auditing accounts to reconcile meter reads; the city will not assess late fees or shut off service for customers who make payment arrangements while the audit proceeds.
The city manager publicly addressed the commission and residents about an internal review that found prior administrations frequently used estimated or standard billing amounts instead of actual meter readings for water bills over “several years.”
The manager read a prepared statement saying the practice produced identical bills for customers regardless of actual consumption and that the city will correct the system by comparing recent meter reads month‑to‑month to reestablish accurate consumption baselines. The manager acknowledged the fixes may create financial hardship for some customers and said the city would not apply late fees or shut off service for customers who stay in communication and make progress on payment arrangements during the reconciliation period.
Council members requested a short grace period (30–90 days) while staff completes the manual reconciliation and works with the billing software vendor (Tyler) to align account numbers to meter reads. Finance staff asked contracts to include clear payment terms. The manager said the problem “has been years” and that staff are creating a manual database to reconcile accounts.
The transcript shows commissioners and staff discussing a potential resolution to suspend shutoffs for a set period while the review is completed; no final vote on a formal resolution appears in the provided excerpt.
