Newcastle board keeps 10% estimated surcharge for Newcastle Meadows until repairs are completed

The Newcastle Utility Impact Board voted unanimously June 15 to keep a temporary 10% estimated charge on a Newcastle Meadows customer account until repairs are completed.

Board members discussed a customer whose usage had doubled in recent bills and who had contracted Triple J Plumbing to fix the problem. Staff confirmed the supplier had received orders for parts and that installation should take a few weeks. Members agreed to maintain the existing estimated billing level but not to raise the 10% surcharge further while the customer shows a good-faith effort to repair the issue.

The decision followed a motion to “keep estimating them but do not increase it anymore because they’ve showed an effort to fix it,” which the board seconded and approved on a 5-0 vote. Staff said the utility’s computer estimates are based on the customer’s last three bills; board members noted that the utility had not applied an additional 10% increase on the most recent billing cycle.

The board recorded a customer number for reference (listed in the transcript as 265531002 / 2655310002) and instructed staff to monitor the account after the plumbing work is complete. Triple J Plumbing was identified in discussion as the contractor working on parts for the repair. The board did not set a new timetable for a follow-up vote; members indicated they would reassess the account after the next billing cycle and the completion of repairs.

The meeting record shows the motion carried 5-0.