Crest Hill staff to draft ordinance imposing manual-read fee for uncooperative water customers

Crest Hill — City staff updated the council on the ongoing water meter replacement program and advised that roughly 60–62 service locations had not completed meter replacement. Staff said the city would draft an ordinance to impose a fee for manual reads on properties that do not allow automated meter installation, and council members agreed staff should send a notice in advance of introducing the ordinance.

City Administrator Tony Graff and staff described the enforcement concept as a fee (not a fine) to cover the city’s cost of dispatching personnel to perform manual meter readings when an automated device has not been installed. Staff discussed possible fee levels — $50 per billing cycle was mentioned as a placeholder and an alternative of $100 was discussed because residential meters are read every two months — and said the final structure would be included in a formal ordinance and accompanying letters to remaining noncompliant customers.

Council members asked staff to send a ‘‘shot across the bow’’ notice advising property owners that the council intends to consider the ordinance at a May meeting so customers would have an opportunity to comply and avoid the fee. Staff said the building and finance departments will prepare the draft ordinance, draft notice letters, and bring the ordinance for council consideration in the coming weeks.

Why it matters: The meter-replacement program affects billing accuracy, utility management and customer payments; a manual-read fee is intended to recover the city’s incremental labor costs and to encourage compliance with automated meter upgrades.

Speakers quoted or paraphrased in this item include Tony Graff, City Administrator, and multiple council members and staff who discussed the ordinance drafting and communication plan.