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Resident asks Smithville to waive reconnect fee after autopay error; finance director says 15–20 accounts affected
Summary
Dawn Cramer told the Board her water was shut off after an autopay setup error; the Board agreed to consider waiving the reconnect fee and asked staff to report how many accounts were affected. Finance Director Rick Welch said a third-party processor caused the issue and estimated 15–20 accounts were affected.
Resident Dawn Cramer addressed the Board during public comment on March 24, describing a three-month failure of autopay that resulted in her water being shut off after she accidentally entered the last four digits of her postal code into the autopay system. Cramer said she accepts responsibility but argued the billing system did not clearly indicate the problem and asked the City to cover the cost of restoring service.
During new business the Board discussed Cramer's request and agreed to consider waiving the reconnect fee given the circumstances. The Board asked staff to research how many customer accounts were affected by the ZIP-code entry error.
Finance Director Rick Welch told the Board the issue began around January 2026 and stemmed from a third-party credit-card processor rather than the City's internal billing system; he estimated 15–20 customer accounts experienced failed charges and noted many residents called after noticing their cards had not been charged. The Board directed staff to provide more information to determine whether fees should be waived or other remediation offered.
The Board did not take an immediate vote on waiving fees at the meeting and asked staff for follow-up.
