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Water revenues exceed projections; late fees, software limits and notification costs draw scrutiny
Summary
Staff told the Feb. 17, 2026 budget review that water department sales-tax revenue is well above projections, late-fee revenue has risen after tougher shutoff policies, and operational issues (meter-deposit accounting, payroll-splitting software limits, blast-call costs) require process fixes.
City budget staff reported on Feb. 17 that sales-tax revenue attributed to the water department is significantly exceeding projections, and they discussed whether the 2026 budget should be adjusted to reflect higher receipts.
Staff also said that stricter enforcement of water shut-offs for nonpayment has raised late-fee revenue and drawn public attention. Officials clarified that water meter deposits are held as customer funds and must be returned when appropriate rather than treated as city revenue.
Operational limitations were discussed: payroll software cannot split a clerk'9s wages between water and sewer in the same pay period, so staff use an alternating-pay-period workaround; some attendees questioned the cost and reliability of the blast-call notification service after reports that some residents did not receive calls during a snow event. Staff flagged a reporting anomaly in a 'net change in fund balance' figure and said Redwing Software (CSA) recommended exporting reports to Excel and customizing the form to meet the city's needs.
Committee members asked staff to consider adjusting revenue estimates, document the payroll workaround, and evaluate notification-service performance; no formal policy changes were recorded at the meeting.
