Inkster officials schedule water town hall after residents report large bills; council approves drinking‑water bond actions
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Summary
Residents reported months‑late and unusually large water bills at the Jan. 20 council meeting. Mayor Nolan and city staff said a migration to a new $6 million billing system caused data errors; the council approved actions related to a drinking water revolving fund loan and scheduled a public town hall for Jan. 22 to address accounts and lead testing.
At the Jan. 20 meeting of the Inkster City Council, multiple residents told the council they had received unusually large or delayed water bills — including accounts cited at $644 and more than $3,000 — prompting officials to explain a systems migration and schedule follow‑up action.
Mayor Nolan said the city recently migrated to a new billing system and that data migration problems, including a decimal‑point issue, caused irregular bills and a pause in regular monthly billing. "We migrated to a new system... we bought a new system for $6,000,000," the mayor said, and staff are manually reconciling accounts. He invited residents with concerns to meet staff and provided the treasurer's assistance for account review.
Patricia Crawford, a resident, told the council her usual bill of about $77 was replaced by a bill exceeding $3,000. The mayor and staff said they will analyze individual accounts and, if errors are found, attempt adjustments or remediation.
Council also approved two water‑related agenda items: a notice of intent resolution to authorize publication related to issuing revenue bonds and an ordinance/bond authorization tied to a Drinking Water Revolving Fund loan; both motions were moved, seconded and passed by voice vote. Officials said the city recently obtained grant funding to replace lead service lines and that a program to replace several hundred lines is planned using a mix of city, HUD and other funds; specific totals and schedules were described as in‑progress.
The treasurer announced a water town hall for Thursday, Jan. 22 at 6:00 p.m. at Dozier Recreation Center to address billing, meters and lead concerns and encouraged residents to submit account details through the city website if they cannot attend. City staff said there will be extended evening hours at City Hall and an intake process to gather account information ahead of the meeting.
Residents and council members also discussed lead service lines: staff said tests of 30 homes found 4 positive results and that the city has grant funding intended to replace lines; staff encouraged homeowners of older houses to request testing. Mayor Nolan said the city will prioritize testing and replacement in older neighborhoods and urged residents to call the city to request account reviews.
What happens next: The city will hold the Jan. 22 town hall, continue manual reconciliation of accounts, follow up with residents who reported large bills, and move forward with a lead service‑line replacement plan that staff and council said is funded in part by recent grants and HUD resources.