Resident asks Milan board to reimburse $275 after city mistakenly shut off wrong water main

At the public-comment portion of the meeting, Vicky Romans, who said she owns property at 600 Warpath Drive in Milan, told the board that while she was out of the country an inspection by her daughter on Feb. 21 found no water in the house. Romans said her daughter called an emergency plumber, who charged $275 for the service call.

Romans said the family later learned the Milan City Water Department had shut off the wrong main in error because two meters share the same pit. "This was not due to nonpayment," Romans said, "this was not due to a water leak, and not due to any issue on my end. It was a mistake made by the department."

Romans asked the board to reimburse the $275 emergency-plumbing charge that she said was incurred directly because the city closed the wrong service main. Board members thanked her for bringing the matter forward and asked staff to review the department's records and to contact the plumber for details; the Chair (S3) asked for a phone number and staff indicated they would follow up.

Why it matters: The claim raises a direct customer-service and possible billing-reimbursement issue tied to town operations and may require an administrative decision or a small payment if staff confirms the department’s error and the charge. The board did not make a final decision during the meeting but committed to investigating and contacting the plumber and the resident.

Next steps: Staff will review log entries and contact the plumber and Ms. Romans to gather documentation before the board considers reimbursement or a final administrative remedy.