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Raeford council adopts COVID-19 utility payment plan, adds hazard-pay policy and creates CARES fund
Summary
The Raeford City Council adopted Ordinance 2020-01 implementing a COVID-19 utility payment arrangement that pauses disconnections and offers extended repayment for residential water and sewer accounts. The council also approved a hazard-pay policy and authorized a special revenue fund for CARES Act reimbursements.
The Raeford City Council on Aug. 6 adopted Ordinance No. 2020-01, establishing a COVID-19 Payment Arrangement Plan to comply with North Carolina Executive Orders 124 and 142 and to give residential water and sewer customers a chance to repay balances incurred between March 31 and July 29, 2020 while maintaining service.
Under the ordinance, the city will suspend residential disconnections and late penalties for the period covered by the governor’s orders and offer reasonable payment-plan options. Customers must request and sign a payment arrangement form; staff may amend the plan as needed and will inform council of any changes, the city manager said.
The action came as part of the consent agenda. Councilman John Jordan moved approval and Councilman Charles Allen seconded; the bundled consent motion passed unanimously.
The council also approved a revision to the personnel manual to add Section 22 establishing a hazard-pay provision. The section authorizes the city manager to determine when hazard pay is warranted due to conditions such as a declared emergency or pandemic; payments may be lump sums or salary differentials, are not a contractual right of employment and are subject to budget constraints.
Separately, the council authorized creation of a Special Revenue Fund named the Coronavirus Relief Fund to receive and account for CARES Act reimbursements. The ordinance cited the federal CARES Act and State Law 2020-4 and noted that Hoke County’s estimated share of certain funds was $2,220,654. The fund will be used to reimburse eligible coronavirus-response expenditures incurred March 1 through Dec. 30, 2020.
The measures place implementation and clerical steps with city staff: the payment-plan form must be signed by customers who seek repayment schedules; the city manager and finance director were authorized to establish the special revenue fund; and staff were instructed to notify council of amendments to the payment plan.
