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Resident complains of unexpected $872 water bill; asks Pico Rivera to improve billing notifications
Summary
A longtime resident told the council she received an $872 water bill she said she did not see prior door notices about and asked the city to improve how customers are notified of billing and urgent meter issues; city staff agreed to follow up offline.
During public comment at the June 24 council meeting, Yolanda Martinez, a longtime Pico Rivera resident and recently retired county employee, said she unexpectedly received an $872 water bill after a prior bill of about $375. Martinez said a city employee told her a notice had been left on her door but she said she did not receive it. Martinez said she is on direct payment and asked the city to develop more reliable notification methods, such as mail or an app alert, because she is a senior and was not able to respond promptly to the alleged notice.
Mayor Garcia asked staff to follow up and City Manager Steve Carmona said staff would work directly with Martinez to review the bill and notification history. No council action was taken at the meeting; staff were asked to remedy the resident’s situation offline.
Clarifying details
- Resident reported an $872 water bill following a previous bill of about $375; she said she had not received any door notice she was told had been left. - Resident said she is on direct payment but could not afford the unexpected balance and requested a different notification method. - City Manager agreed to work with the resident outside the meeting to investigate and resolve the matter.
Ending
City staff committed to follow up with the resident to review the billing record and notification history; the council did not take formal action on municipal billing policy at the June 24 meeting.
