During public comment and the resolutions portion of the Dec. 2 meeting, residents and council members raised procedural and access problems related to the city's tax-certificate sale and water/sewer billing.

Multiple speakers — including Council Vice President Edwards and members of the public — said the city's payment portal was deactivated during the tax-sale window and that the tax/water payment office closes at 3:30 p.m., limiting access for working residents. Vice President Edwards and others said some residents had trouble reaching staff by phone and that early building closures on a holiday-adjacent day hindered in-person payments and docket availability.

Council also discussed a specific tax-certificate sold on Dec. 22, 2022 for a property whose owner had filed for bankruptcy in April 2022; administration explained the distinction between a property foreclosure process and bankruptcy filings, and said the city had not been notified by the creditor or the bankruptcy court. City staff recommended pulling the resolution that would cancel the certificate until the refund amount and the pairing refund resolution could be attached; council agreed and the item was pulled.

Public commenter Robin Washington separately described a protracted lead-inspection process for a privately owned property that required multiple inspections (totaling about $1,400 in fees) and said lab/test results were not clearly explained; she asked the city to improve turnaround and clarity from contracted testing providers.

Next steps: administration agreed to produce the refund figure and the paired refund resolution for council review and to examine hours/notification for tax-sale periods to improve resident access.