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Council explains $2 utility technology fee after residents question charge
Summary
Council discussed why a $2 technology fee recently began appearing on utility bills: an ordinance authorizing the fee passed in 2021 but the fee was not implemented until equipment was installed; council and residents raised questions about prior nonimplementation and transparency.
Councilwoman Brandy Westmoreland asked why a $2 utility technology fee had recently been added to customers' utility bills when the ordinance authorizing such a fee was adopted in 2021. Attorney Wilson told the council that while the 2021 ordinance authorized the fee, it was not implemented at that time because required equipment had not yet been acquired; other fees in the same ordinance were implemented, but the technology fee remained dormant until equipment installation was completed. The minutes record that the former CFO, Mrs. Mankins, advised staff that the technology fee was the only fee in the ordinance not previously implemented.
Several members of the public raised related questions during the meeting. Pete Charlet spoke about the technology fee and about meeting procedures and Planning & Zoning attendance. Ellis Whitehead raised an issue about canal cleaning and said Utilities Director Wayne Day had contacted him; Whitehead said the buildup remains and he intends to clean his portion himself. The minutes summarize these comments but do not provide verbatim quotes from speakers.
Why it matters: the fee affects monthly bills for utility customers and was applied after the city completed equipment upgrades the council said the fee was intended to fund. The minutes do not show any retroactive billing or a council vote to alter the ordinance; they record explanation by staff and questions from council and members of the public.
The minutes do not record additional formal action on the fee at the meeting beyond the discussion and citizen comments.
