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Council approves higher after-hours reconnect and service-call fees for water department
Summary
Monmouth approved an amendment to the public works after-hours water-service policy: the after-hours reconnect fee will rise from $80 to $150 and a $150 after‑hours service‑call fee will be instituted for calls attributable to customer‑side problems; city‑caused faults would not be charged.
The Monmouth City Council approved amendments to the public works department’s after‑hours water‑service policy on July 6, increasing the fee structure for after‑hours responses and creating a new after‑hours service‑call fee.
Under the approved change, the reconnect fee during normal business hours remains $50, while the after‑hours reconnect fee will increase from $80 to $150. The current $25 new‑account turn‑on fee will be retained. In addition, staff will charge a $150 after‑hours service‑call fee when the problem is internal plumbing or otherwise the resident’s responsibility; the city will not charge if the issue is the city’s fault (for example, a broken main or a city service line failure).
Staff explained the rationale as covering labor, equipment and vehicle costs associated with nighttime call‑outs and said the city typically handles initial triage via phone to limit unnecessary call‑outs. Council members urged staff to post public notice of the change in advance (staff proposed a Facebook post and posted notice at the billing counter) and the motion to approve the amendment carried on roll call.
Staff said the goal is transparency and cost recovery, while allowing exceptions when the city’s infrastructure is at fault.
