Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utility Billing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ocoee moves to write off $493,000, pursue liens and collections after utility billing review
Summary
City staff reported $2.1 million in outstanding utility balances and asked to write off $493,000 older than five years; the commission approved steps to reinstate liens, hold property owners responsible for tenant debt and pursue collection actions.
City utilities and finance staff told the Ocoee City Commission on April 7 that about $2.1 million in utility balances remain outstanding and asked permission to write off roughly $493,000 in accounts older than five years under Florida’s statute of limitations.
Finance Director Steve Weber said the write-off request covers accounts beyond the five-year collection window while staff seek commission approval to reinstate lien practices and require property owners to be held accountable for tenant debts where city code allows. "That total amount is a little over $493,000," Weber said of the accounts staff recommended writing off, and he added that the city’s total outstanding balance across all accounts is "a little over $2.1 million."
Utilities Director Jen Bowling described steps already underway to reduce future problems, including expanded continuous-use notifications tied to smart meters, door tags when customers do not respond to calls, a new Vertex One customer portal to deliver consolidated billing and consumption alerts, pilot testing for remotely controlled meters, and increased inspections for suspected water tampering.
Staff recommended several policy and fee updates for commission consideration: raising deposits and reconnection fees, adopting a tiered tampering-fee schedule, formalizing payment-plan rules with reasonable payback periods, reinstituting property liens for sufficiently delinquent accounts and using collection agencies for accounts with no activity after a set period. Commissioners urged prompt implementation; one commissioner summarized the approach succinctly: “When in doubt, lean,” endorsing an expedited program to place property liens on non-homesteaded properties.
The commission approved staff’s recommendations and directed staff to begin collection and lien processes, pursue non-homestead accounts aggressively, and return with ordinance language to update code sections for leak adjustments, fine structures and deposit rules.
Next steps: staff will prepare ordinance language for formal readings, execute lien filings on qualifying properties and issue an implementation plan for improved meter and portal deployment.
