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Morgantown council weighs billing policy for vacant properties, approves meter-access letters and utility adjustment
Summary
Council agreed that vacant properties should be charged minimum wastewater, storm and hydrant fees per ordinance, directed utilities staff to identify affected accounts and authorized the town attorney to prepare a policy; the council denied a late-fee refund request and approved a utility adjustment for Page Walter, waiving charges except a $1,860.91 water charge.
Morgantown’s Town Council addressed several utilities matters at its July 8 meeting, including billing rules for vacant properties, meter-access problems and customer adjustments.
Town Attorney Lee Robbins told council members he had sent letters to two homeowners after DPW staff could not access water meters—one meter was behind a fence and another was in a basement—asking the homeowners to provide access. The attorney said he would report back to council after further follow-up.
Councilors discussed how vacant homes or buildings should be billed. The members agreed that, under the town ordinance, customers occupying vacant structures should continue to be charged the minimum wastewater fee and applicable storm and hydrant fees. Utilities staff were directed to identify which accounts are affected so that billing changes can be made and Robbins was asked to draft a formal policy reflecting the decision.
The council denied a refund request from Quinton Marker for a late penalty caused when a credit-card payment was returned due to an account closure; members said it was not the town’s place to monitor customers’ bank accounts. Separately, the council approved a utility adjustment for account holder Page Walter of 120 Michael Court after a tenant left a valve on and caused flooding; the council waived all charges except the water portion of $1,860.91 (motion by David Johnson, seconded by Courtney Allen). The record shows all members present voted in favor of the adjustment.
No further timeline was set for the billing-policy draft; the council recorded that Attorney Robbins will prepare a policy for future approval.
