Board directs staff to revise credit-card policy to pass processing fees to payers

The Village Board directed staff to revise the village's credit-card policy so that customers who pay by credit card will cover processing fees, following a motion from a trustee and unanimous board approval.

The action was proposed by a trustee during the trustees' reports, who said the village has been absorbing credit-card convenience fees and recommended charging payers a $1 minimum for small bills and roughly 2.35% on larger amounts. "A $1 minimum cost will be added," the trustee said, and for larger payments the trustee cited an estimated 2.35% rate.

Board members and staff discussed how the change would be implemented through the state's ePay portal, requiring updates to the website and in-person signage. A village staff member said the change requires an update to the portal and added that signage and utility-billing notices could be used to inform residents. The board also clarified that automatic bank-debit payments and cash would remain fee-free.

Staff noted the village currently spends about $16,000 annually on credit-card processing fees, a figure presented as a rationale for the policy change. Trustees asked for timing and notice; staff said the portal update could be made almost immediately or timed to the next utility-billing cycle and that the village could add the change to its next newsletter.

The motion to direct staff to revise the policy was moved by Trustee Johnson and seconded by Trustee Gust and was approved by the board. The motion directs staff to update ePay settings, post required notices on the website and at village offices, and bring finalized language back to the board for implementation details.

The board did not record a detailed roll-call tally in the transcript beyond the motion carrying; the policy change will proceed through staff implementation and return to the board with specific effective dates.