Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee examines condo water‑billing debt, legal options and delays water bill‑of‑rights vote
Summary
DeKalb County officials discussed in rem legal actions, orphaned water meters and costly leaks at condominium complexes; the county attorney and administration described options and the committee deferred a related Water Customer Bill of Rights to May 26.
County Attorney Phillips told the Finance, Audit and Budget Committee that the county has used in rem civil actions in past cases to obtain court permission to enter and remediate properties identified by code compliance.
"When you reference in rem, that's what you're talking about. We're asking the court's permission for the county to go in and clean property up," Phillips said, summarizing the existing legal tool and saying the law department is investigating broader strategies to address multi‑unit condominium debt where problems exceed isolated individual cases.
Commissioners described recurring challenges: master‑metered condominiums where ownership and HOA collections have diminished, orphaned meters with large unpaid balances and partially demolished developments that attract dumping and create public safety concerns. Commissioner Patrick gave an illustrative example: "we had one that was like 3 million uh maybe 2 years ago, and now it's 5 million," and urged exploration of court‑authorized repairs, individual metering and liens to recoup county investment.
An administration official (Williams) said turning off water to stop debt accumulation is complicated because it could leave hundreds of families without habitable units and create fire‑safety and relocation needs. Williams said the county pursues settlements where possible and is identifying sites and creative repair options to stop leakage and restore regular payments.
County Attorney Phillips told commissioners the law department will prepare a formal proposal, including timing, for the committee’s review; staff was asked to quantify non‑revenue water loss in gallons and dollars and model whether upfront repairs would be cheaper than letting debt escalate. The committee agreed to quarterly check‑ins and a short sideline meeting with administration staff to refine approaches.
Separately, the committee reviewed the status of a proposed DeKalb County Water Customer Bill of Rights and asked staff to reissue prior materials (including Urban League input); members voted to defer that item to the May 26 committee meeting for more work.
The meeting closed after the deferral votes.
