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Small landlord says new water-billing notice would raise her monthly charge from about $200 to nearly $868
Summary
At the April 10 Pinellas Park council meeting, small property owner Sharon Ziming said a recently received notice applying a past ordinance would dramatically increase her water bill from roughly $200–$250/month to $867.92/month; she asked city staff for a fair solution and an explanation before the change takes effect in three months.
Sharon Ziming, a small-property owner in Pinellas Park, told the City Council on April 10 that a notice she received this week applies last year’s ordinance in a way that would dramatically raise her water bill. "I use between around averaging 4,800 units," she said, describing weekly checks of a single master meter for her 12-unit building. The notice, she said, lists roughly 36,000 units and a monthly charge of $867.92.
Ziming said she normally pays about $200–$250 a month and called the proposed increase unaffordable for a small business owner. She said she monitors unit usage with food coloring tests and locked meters to detect leaks, and asked the city for an explanation and alternatives so small landlords are not penalized by the billing method.
City staff did not provide a detailed on-the-record explanation during public comment; the mayor and council asked to collect contact information and follow up with Ziming. The council did not take formal action during the meeting to change billing or suspend the new charges.
Why it matters: Changes to how the city charges for water can have outsized impacts on small landlords and tenants, both financially and administratively. Ziming’s comments flag a potential implementation issue if a broad ordinance is applied uniformly without a waiver or adjustment for master-metered small properties.
What residents said and asked: Ziming asked for a review of the billing methodology, an explanation of why the notice arrived months after the ordinance’s passage, and practical alternatives to avoid a near fourfold monthly increase.
Next steps: Council members and staff collected Ziming’s contact information and said staff would follow up. The council did not state a timeline for a response at the meeting.
