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Crowley resident urges council to stop charging sewer user fee when no water is used
Summary
A resident told the council he was charged sewer user fees after a dwelling was unoccupied and urged passage of an ordinance to waive sewer fees in months with zero water use; city legal counsel said current ordinances govern the fee and engineer confirmed charges are based on water consumption rules.
Crowley — During public comment, a resident raised a complaint about sewer user fees and urged the council to consider an ordinance change so customers who use no water in a month would not be charged.
The resident described being billed for sewer service while a damaged unit had not been occupied for months and said he and others affected ‘‘are being robbed’’ by continued charges. He asked who collects the fee (stating LawCo collects it) and whether the city ultimately receives and uses the funds. He called on the council to pass an ordinance exempting customers from sewer fees in months when no water is used.
City legal counsel responded that the city’s ordinances provide for user fees and that the department is applying the fees as written. City engineer Tim Mader said the sewer fee charge is based on water consumption as recorded by the meter. The resident said he would press the issue and asked city legal staff to “come up with a solution.”
No formal action or vote was taken on the request during the meeting; the matter was discussed in the committee context and residents and officials suggested follow‑up with staff.
Provenance: Public comment and back-and-forth with legal/engineer (SEG 276–SEG 466).
