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Maywood trustees delay water shut-offs, send freeze request to finance committee
Summary
Trustees voted Oct. 6 to postpone any water shut-offs until a special Finance Committee meeting on Oct. 15 after debate about COVID-era arrears and staff capacity to perform disconnections. The board voted 6–1 to defer action, with Mayor Edwenna Perkins opposed.
Trustees for the Village of Maywood voted on Oct. 6 to delay any water shut-offs for residents until a Finance Committee meeting scheduled for Oct. 15, after an initial proposal sought a more comprehensive freeze through the end of 2020.
Trustee N. Booker introduced the proposal citing residents’ COVID-19-related account issues and moved to eliminate shut-offs for the remainder of 2020 and to reactivate accounts already shut off. Board members debated operational and fiscal implications before adopting an amended motion to refer the matter to the Finance Committee and bar any disconnects until that committee meets. The amended motion passed 6–1; Mayor Edwenna Perkins voted no.
Finance and utility staff explained practical limits of carrying out disconnections. Lanya Satchell, Finance Director, said staff lacked the in-house or outsourced resources to perform shut-offs and that billing notices are a routine demand-for-payment process intended to inform residents of assistance options. The board recorded an agreement to hold a special finance meeting at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15 to consider policy changes or interim relief options.
The vote did not adopt a final policy; rather, it directed further review. The measure instructs the Finance Committee to evaluate financial impacts and potential assistance programs and report back to the full board. No immediate budget appropriation or ordinance was adopted at the Oct. 6 session.
