City outlines utility‑billing transition status: bills issued, vendor data issues persist, dedicated help line active

City finance staff and the city administrator updated council on the ongoing utility‑billing and payment‑processing transition and described steps the city is taking to assist customers while vendor data issues are resolved.

Linda Williamson, Finance Director, reminded residents that business license renewals are due April 30 and property taxes are due May 1, and she said the city set up a citizen help desk in the municipal center lobby to help residents with bills and tax numbers.

"We have business license renewals that are gonna be due Wednesday, April 30, and, also, our city property taxes are due Thursday, May 1," Williamson said. "We set up a citizen help desk out front in the municipal center lobby, and that's for anyone to come in who's got any questions with their bill or, they need their tax number for their tax payments."

City Administrator Jim Clifford summarized the billing transition operations: March 25 bills were distributed; an April billing originally scheduled for April 10 was moved to April 30; staff have not shut off any services since December; and the city will not assess penalties until audits confirm bill accuracy.

"We haven't shut off any services since December," Clifford said. He added the city had charged late fees since early February but would not apply penalties until the audit and reconciliation are complete.

Key operational points and customer guidance

- Billing and timing: March 25 bills were mailed; the April 10 billing run was rescheduled to April 30, and customers should start receiving bills May 1. Staff said the lobby has higher volume as customers come in to pay and ask questions.

- Payments and vendor transmission: The city is working with Clover and Fiserv to reconcile payments. Staff said payments made between April 9 and April 14 were recorded by the vendor but not transmitted to the city’s system; the city is pursuing those records so account credits can be applied.

- Enforcement and fees: No service shutoffs have occurred since December. The city has assessed late fees starting in early February but will not levy penalties until the billing transition is auditable and accurate.

- Customer support: The city established a dedicated customer support line for billing transition issues: (803) 442‑5717. Clifford said staff will keep that line active while the transition continues.

Vendor performance and council concerns

Council members pressed the administration about vendor (Clover) responsiveness. A council member characterized Clover's performance as insufficient; Clifford said technical difficulties remain and staff are pressing the vendor for fixes.

Next steps

Staff said they will continue to reconcile vendor payment records with city accounts, pursue the outstanding payment transmissions for April, and keep the customer support resources in place until the transition is complete. No shutoffs or new penalties will be applied while audits and reconciliations continue.

Ending: Finance and administration urged residents with billing questions to use the municipal help desk or the dedicated customer support line; council indicated continued oversight of vendor performance but took no formal action during the study session.