Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utility Billing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Winfield council on high utility bills; mayor cites billing cycle and sewer-rate increase
Summary
Residents raised concerns about large month-to-month spikes in February utility bills and requested follow-up; Mayor Willie Bender said longer billing cycles and a sewer-rate increase tied to the wastewater treatment plant project contributed to higher bills and staff will follow up.
Two Winfield residents used the public forum at the March 13 council meeting to press the council for answers about high February utility bills.
Resident Elizabeth Hernandez provided the council with a 15-month history of her home and shop utility bills and asked the council and city staff to investigate how spikes occurred and to place the issue on the April meeting agenda. Resident Angie Wilson also described unexpectedly high bills and asked for guidance on related cost concerns. Clerk Angie Oepping said she would do additional research and report back to the council.
Mayor Willie Bender acknowledged residents' frustrations and offered an explanation: "Citizens I feel your pain; it was my largest bill as well." He said the February increases were driven in part by a longer billing cycle caused by extreme weather that delayed meter reads, and also by a sewer-rate increase that took effect in December 2023 tied to the wastewater treatment plant project. He urged residents to respect yard-waste dump-site rules during final construction at the WWTP, warning that dumping when the area is muddy could cause problems.
The council accepted public comments and directed staff to pursue follow-up: Clerk Oepping will research meter and billing issues (including quotes for gas/water auto-readers) and will place the residents' request on the April agenda. The council also thanked employees for outreach and responsiveness during the billing concerns.
The meeting record shows the mayor's explanation and staff follow-up plans; the council did not adopt an immediate policy change at the March 13 session and scheduled further discussion for April.
