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Board updates budget-billing policy and adds medical-stay protection
Summary
The board adopted Resolution 2025-16 to revise the budget-billing plan: residency for budget billing is reduced to six months (from 12), annual settlement language removed in favor of ongoing quarterly review, and Iowa Utilities Commission medical-stay protections were added to postpone disconnection for qualifying customers.
On Sept. 23 the Eldridge Electric and Water Utility Board adopted Resolution 2025-16 to align the utility billing policy with current practice and to add a medical-stay protection drawn from the Iowa Administrative Code.
Staff explained the changes: the residency requirement for budget billing will be shortened from 12 months to six months to accommodate newer residents, the prior requirement to settle accounts annually will be removed because the utility now conducts quarterly reviews, and the medical-stay language implements a 30-day postponement of disconnection when a customer provides a qualifying physician’s note (the board noted the local language was taken directly from the Iowa Utilities Commission rules).
Board members discussed potential abuse of the medical-stay provision, seasonal effects on six-month averaging for budget billing and the need to allow customers to request settlement at any time. After questions, a motion to adopt the updated budget-billing resolution passed on a roll-call vote.
