Council tables disputed water-bill settlement and pauses shutoff for 1817 Cor Street pending further review

The Crest Hill City Council voted June 15 to table consideration of a draft payment agreement for an outstanding water bill on a property at 1817 Cor Street and separately voted to delay a scheduled water shutoff while the council reviews additional information.

City staff presented a proposed settlement developed after a work session and a staff meeting with the property owners: reduce the outstanding balance to 50% of the current water charge, accept a 10% down payment, and require monthly payments for 12 months in addition to ongoing usage bills. Finance staff said the proposal was based on splitting the bill and allowing a year-long payment schedule.

Residents Jonathan and Rachel (new owners) told the council they never received a usage bill under the new account before the high-volume readings were identified and asked for more time and additional billing data. Council members pressed staff for a detailed timeline of communications and meter repairs: staff described a continuous flow problem identified December 23 under the prior owner; a final bill was estimated in March and a new account was opened March 6 (new owners provided information March 10); meter repairs were done March 16 and the continuous flow was stopped March 25. The council asked staff to produce the two months of usage since March 25 (without the continuous flow) to estimate ongoing charges.

Given outstanding questions about whether the prior or current owner bears responsibility for parts of the charge, several members favored tabling the agreement until staff could deliver clearer meter data and legal guidance. The council voted to table the settlement and to prevent shutoff of the property's water as long as the household remains current on its ongoing usage charges; staff said late fees would be held in abeyance while the matter is revisited at the next work session.