Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utility Billing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident tells Vinton City Council he cannot pay large sewer bill; staff offers payment plan and assistance
Summary
A resident told the Vinton City Council a sudden high sewer/water bill left them unable to pay on Social Security. City staff said the automated notice went out in error, declined to credit sewer charges tied to the account, and offered a payment plan and referrals to assistance organizations while agreeing not to shut off service during follow-up.
At a Vinton City Council meeting, a resident described receiving a large sewer and water bill and said the charge followed street and sidewalk work near the property. The resident said they are on Social Security and cannot pay the full amount.
The resident said, “I’m 80 years old and I’m on Social Security,” and described going without normal living conditions while the dispute is resolved. The speaker added they believed construction activity may have damaged private piping and said a contractor or the town should bear responsibility for the cost.
City staff told the council the account received an automated notice and that the office is one person short; staff said they cannot credit sewer usage tied to the account because the city’s engineer did not conclude the pipe break resulted from the construction project. Staff nevertheless offered to set up a payment plan and to refer the resident to organizations that can help with bills. Staff also said the city would not turn off the resident’s water while it works with the resident to explore options.
Council members and staff agreed to meet with the resident the following day to discuss possible next steps. Council said staff would attempt to identify assistance programs and review the account and the available engineering information. No formal action or billing adjustment was made at the meeting.
The council’s immediate follow-up: a staff member said they would visit the property, pull the page of the project prints that contains the note referenced by a council member, and continue the conversation with the resident the next day.
