Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Billing And Consumer Outreach topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Glens Falls board grants two one-time water bill credits; members call for customer education
Summary
The Water and Sewer Board approved one-time bill relief for two properties — $979.29 for 175 Broad Street and $1,193.27 for 29 Smith Street — and held an extended discussion about public outreach, billing clarity and periodic "stormwater moments."
At the City of Glens Falls Water and Sewer Workshop on Monday, June 16, the board approved one-time bill relief for two properties after staff said both accounts experienced unusually high charges tied to plumbing leaks.
Bill (staff member) presented account reviews and backup billing information. For 175 Broad Street, staff recommended a one-time credit of $979.29 to restore the account to a normal billing average; Mary Beth (staff member) told the board she found no prior credits on record for the property. The board approved the credit by voice vote.
For 29 Smith Street, staff described an upstairs apartment toilet that ran continuously and went undetected until the occupant contacted the city. Staff recommended a one-time relief of $1,193.27; the board approved the relief by voice vote.
Board members then held an extended discussion about recurring large bills caused by unnoticed leaks and about ways to reduce future occurrences. The mayor (name not specified) urged staff to pursue public education options, suggesting recurring "stormwater moments" at meetings, informational flyers included with bills, and a council presentation to share findings from recent consultant reports. Suggestions included adding web content, periodic mailers, and partnering with the city’s communications channels to remind residents to check fixtures and consider periodic maintenance.
Staff confirmed that the credits are one-time relief and that accounts will resume normal billing after adjustments. Board members discussed options for partial credits or percentage relief for future cases but took no change to policy at the meeting.
Ending: Staff said they will present the consultant report at the next council meeting when available and will consider educational outreach measures this summer and fall.
