Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves first readings updating utility billing code and giving manager waiver authority, asks for annual waiver report
Summary
Council approved first readings of ordinances to update utility billing and capacity‑charge code and to grant the town manager authority to waive rates, fees or charges in extenuating circumstances; council asked staff to provide an annual summary of waived amounts for oversight.
On May 20 the Cave Creek Town Council approved first readings of two ordinances: one updating Title V (public works) chapters covering sewer, water and capacity charges to reflect current practices and fee schedules, and a second amending the town‑manager duties to permit waiver of collection of rates, fees or charges under extenuating circumstances.
Staff explained the code updates align the ordinance with current departmental practice (utility billing handled by finance), remove obsolete fixed dollar amounts in favor of a fee schedule, clarify payment due dates when they fall on non‑banking days, add procedures for deposits and refunds (including refunding deposits after two years of good payment history), and add a ministerial‑authority clarification for the utilities director.
On manager waiver authority, staff said the ordinance simply formalizes a delegation the council can make under statute. Mayor (speaker 1) and other council members asked the manager to provide an annual, aggregated report of amounts waived to provide transparency and internal control. "With authority comes accountability," the mayor said, requesting a yearly summary of waived collections by category rather than customer‑level detail.
Council members voted to approve both first readings; each passed 7–0. Staff said the second reading and final adoption are scheduled at a subsequent meeting and that the effective date for changes would be 30 days after adoption.
