Board approves resident sewer reimbursement and waiver extension, denies a late-fee waiver

The Board of Public Works and Safety on May 1 approved a $335 reimbursement for a resident who incurred plumbing costs after a sewage event and granted a homeowner a six-month extension on his sewer waiver while rebuilding following a tornado; the board denied a separate request to waive a $9.64 late fee.

Cliff Moser of 145 North Charles Street requested $335 to cover a plumber he hired after sewage backed up; Moser said the Gerber lift station alarm did not sound over a weekend and the sewage department did not become aware of the issue until Monday. Wastewater Superintendent Brad Dues verified the account history and the board approved the reimbursement on a motion by Jerry Leonhard, seconded by Steve McIntosh.

Kyle Love of 2041 W. SR 67 asked for an extension of his sewer-waiver while he rebuilds a home destroyed in the September 2024 tornado. The board approved a six-month extension covering billing months June through November 2025; Love told the board he hopes not to need the full extension and will provide progress updates.

Pam Zielinski of 1913 South Nan-Del Lane asked the board to waive a $9.64 late fee from an April 10 bill. The board denied the waiver, relying on the city's billing policy and ordinance language that an account is not considered paid until payment is received in the office and that the city is not responsible for mail delays.

The board's actions addressed individual resident billing and recovery matters; no change to the billing ordinance was proposed at the May 1 meeting.