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Warr Acres council approves resolution asking Oklahoma City to cut water for five delinquent accounts; one account held for two weeks while resident seeks plan
Summary
The Warr Acres City Council voted to send a resolution to Oklahoma City requesting water shutoffs for five properties with unpaid sewer fees, but agreed to delay sending the paperwork for two weeks so utility staff can accept any incoming payments and remove a resident, Dorothy Paul, from the list if she pays or signs a plan.
The Warr Acres City Council on March 18 approved a resolution asking Oklahoma City to disconnect water service for five properties whose owners have not paid sewer and utility fees.
Council members voted to approve the list after a public hearing in which city utility staff described the accounts as past-due and on multiple prior collections lists. The vote followed a public comment period in which Tanya Walker Kohler, who said she is the power of attorney for resident Dorothy Paul, asked the council to allow Paul time to catch up using a proposed payment plan.
Kohler said Paul recently obtained steady work and planned to make regular payments. “She’s just attained a full time job. When she did and got her first paycheck, she did reach out to the utility company and try to pay,” Kohler said. She asked the council for a six-month schedule for Paul to repay back charges while keeping current on ongoing bills.
Utility lead Crystal (last name not recorded in minutes) told the council that the accounts on the list have had prior collection actions, that garbage service for properties on the list had been stopped for at least 60 days, and that some accounts had been referred to collections previously. Crystal told the council that one property, Rachel Paddock’s, had paid and was removed from the list prior to the vote.
Council members discussed a compromise suggested by staff: approve the resolution with the five addresses but direct staff to delay sending the resolution to Oklahoma City for two weeks so any payments received in that window could be removed from the list. The council adopted that approach by vote.
Under the adopted motion the resolution will be transmitted to Oklahoma City on April 2 unless Crystal receives a qualifying payment or a signed payment plan for an account before then. Council members emphasized that if a deferred account defaults again the administrative process to return the name to the shutoff list can take two to three months under the interlocal arrangement with Oklahoma City.
The council approved the resolution after roll-call voting. The motion passed on an affirmative vote from a majority of members present; the clerk’s recording of the roll call is in the official minutes.
City staff said the process is intended to protect the city’s sewer fund and to follow statutory and intergovernmental requirements that condition Oklahoma City’s willingness to shut off water for nonpayment on a specific local procedure.
