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City says utility-billing autopay error is being fixed; water quality improving after algae treatment
Summary
City staff told the council that an April 4 upload error caused duplicate files in the payment platform and led to some autopay transactions pulling exaggerated amounts; refunds and redrawing of correct amounts are in progress. City manager and staff also said algae-treatment changes have improved water quality.
City staff told the Bloomington City Council on April 25 that a technology error caused duplicate utility-billing files to be uploaded to the city—s online payment platform on April 4, which in turn triggered some autopay transactions to withdraw exaggerated balances. The finance and IT teams, working with the payment-platform vendor, have been reversing duplicate files, issuing refunds and preparing to redraw the correct amounts.
Finance staff said credit- and debit-card refunds were processed quickly because the platform can settle those immediately. Electronic checks (direct-debit e-checks) require longer settlement times; staff said they will wait for refunds to settle and redraw e-check payments the following week to avoid double-charging accounts. The city is offering to refund overdraft fees and provide immediate checks for residents who experienced financial hardship because of the error.
Scott (finance staff) said the sequence began when a software update changed a file-naming convention. The update caused older files to be recognized as new uploads, producing duplicate records in the payment platform. Staff described an "all-hands-on-deck" response with frequent vendor coordination; they estimated the technical corrections and redraws would be complete the week following the meeting.
On water operations, City Manager Jeff Jurgens told council the city switched to Lake Bloomington on April 8 and is treating an algae bloom in Lake Evergreen; he said staff have observed a noticeable improvement in water quality and thanked water-department staff for their work.
Why it matters: The billing error affected auto-pay customers and required immediate operational fixes and customer outreach. The city—s response includes refunds and special accommodations for customers who suffered bank overdrafts; staff expect full resolution shortly. Separately, the water-treatment update signals operational progress on a systemwide water-quality issue.
Next steps: Finance staff will complete the e-check redraw after refunds settle and continue customer outreach. The city will post notices on social media and the website and issue direct communications to affected account holders. Water staff will continue treatment of Lake Evergreen and report further results to the council as available.
