Council flags problems with ordinance codification, $72,000 in delinquent water accounts and aging meter software; asks staff for mailer and to pursue meter-rep

City officials told the Castle Dale City Council on Jan. 9 that a recently prepared codification of city ordinances requires careful review, and council members discussed short-term steps to address a large roster of delinquent water accounts and aging meter-reading technology.

During a review of the codification package prepared by Municode (the firm producing the consolidated ordinance binder), council members said they found multiple instances where previously adopted ordinance language had been struck out, and where the contractor's question-and-answer notes (provided in the draft) did not match local practice or intent. Council members were advised to review the pages assigned to their areas of responsibility and to flag incorrect red answers or inappropriate deletions for Municode before the city finalizes the codification.

Council members specifically noted that fee and penalty amounts had been removed in several places, and that the codification process requires a formal city fee schedule where every municipal charge (connections, user fees, penalties) is catalogued. Staff and council discussed making the fee schedule part of the codified record and suggested an annual adjustment process to keep fees aligned with municipal costs.

Delinquent water accounts and collection steps

During discussion of utilities, staff reported a list of delinquent water accounts that amounted to roughly $72,000 in billed but unpaid balances. Council members discussed outreach and enforcement steps to reduce that figure: a mailed notice explaining the updated shutoff and collections procedure, door-hanger notices, and in-person visits. For the initial enforcement round, council directed staff to provide 48 hoursnotice (rather than 24) as the program ramps up to give customers more time to respond.

Council also asked that a door-knock/door-hanger program be used in tandem with a mailed notice, and that shutoffs be scheduled earlier in the week (Monday or Tuesday) rather than on Fridays. Staff indicated that shutoffs would not be reversed except when a resident is present to arrange payment or otherwise comply with the city's procedure.

Aging meter-reading hardware and software

Council members discussed persistent metering and billing problems tied to the city's remote-reading system. Staff said the city has been experiencing false or flat reads and communication issues between the meter-reading hardware and the city's billing software (described in the meeting as Itron/Clipper devices sold through a third-party, HydroSpecialist).

Staff told the council that the city will request a quote for replacement hardware and software on Monday; council asked the mayor to circulate the quote by email for an expedited ratification vote if the cost is within budgeted funds. Staff said funding exists in the city's water fund to proceed once the quote is received, and that the city will need both hardware and software updates to restore reliable reads and reduce staff time spent reconciling meter data.

Next steps

Council members were asked to review the Municode draft pages for their assigned sections (land use, streets, utilities, parks, etc.), verify the correctness of the draft answers and fee listings, and return comments to staff so that the city and Municode can schedule a joint review with the contractor's attorney. Staff will prepare the delinquent-account mailer and door-hanger program and will coordinate shutoffs with code enforcement and maintenance staff.

No ordinance was adopted at the Jan. 9 meeting; the items described are discussion items and staff directions to proceed with a codification review, customer outreach on delinquent accounts and procurement of metering replacements.