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Greenbelt council agrees to launch online bill-pay as resident-funded pilot
Summary
After debate about costs and equity, Greenbelt council approved launching an online bill-pay feature as a resident-funded service for a one-year test; staff estimated a potential city cost up to $50,000 in year one if agency-funded and proposed using ARPA funds only for overages during the trial.
Greenbelt city staff proposed rolling out an Edmonds Financial Management online bill-pay feature that would allow residents to pay and schedule payments online. Treasurer Bertha Gaiman explained eCheck fees would be $0.95 (agency-funded) or $1.95 (resident-funded) and that credit-card transactions carry roughly 3% merchant fees. Staff estimated one-year agency costs could reach $50,000; council was told $13,000 is already in the FY2025 budget for this item and that ARPA funds could cover any first-year overage.
Council members debated who should pay the fees. Mr. Roberts and several colleagues expressed concern about taxpayers subsidizing credit-card fees and suggested user fees or hybrid models; others, including Councilmember Niesl, emphasized keeping a free in-person payment option for residents who cannot pay online. Councilmembers proposed hybrid alternatives such as absorbing eCheck or debit-fee costs while passing credit-card fees to users. Treasurer Gaiman said the vendor currently offers only agency- or resident-funded models but agreed to query the vendor about hybrid options.
Mayor Jordan moved and the council voted to proceed with online bill pay as resident-funded for the first year (introducing the program as a trial and noting it may shift to a different funding model later). Staff will return in September with answers to unresolved questions about hybrid options, cost estimates, and user-protection measures. The council directed staff to retain a free in-person payment mechanism and to include clear public messaging that the initial launch is a one-year test subject to future funding decisions.
