Medora resident brings multi-month water-billing error to council; staff to correct accounts

A Medora resident raised a billing dispute at the council meeting after finding a bill that consolidated usage from July through late December. The resident said she had paid bills in the past and asked for an explanation of a balance that covered multiple months.

Clerk Janice and utilities staff reviewed the account during the meeting and said the town's meter-reading system had not recorded readings for several months; the missing reads produced a single bill covering roughly six months of use, which staff said showed an aggregate consumption that appeared unusually high. Staff explained that a neighbor's meter (identified in the discussion as Trenton's) had been billed to the wrong property in some months, and that a $168 payment related to that neighbor's bill could be applied to correct the resident's account.

The resident said the issue was a matter of principle as much as money: "I just need help understanding that," she told the board. Utilities staff said they would apply the payment to the correct account, re-start monthly billing in January, and follow up with the resident to confirm the corrected balance. Staff also noted the town's minimum monthly charge was stated in the system as $49.70.

Council members and staff agreed to track meter readings closely next month and to provide the resident with an adjusted account statement. The board urged staff to confirm the meter-read schedule and return with the corrected billing record if further adjustments are needed.

What the council asked staff to do - Apply the $168 payment (originally credited to a neighbor's account) to the resident's account where appropriate. - Provide a corrected billing history and confirm monthly reads going forward. - Meet with the resident or call to confirm adjustments once processed.

The council did not take a separate formal vote on account corrections beyond directing staff to fix the issue and report back.