Caney council debates water reconnection fees; ordinance tabled after mayor directs staff to set $75 flat fee

The Caney City Council on May 18 discussed proposed changes to water reconnection and after-hours reconnection fees, with staff saying current after-hours charges do not cover staff wages and Council members debating fairness and enforcement.

Why it matters: reconnection fees affect low-income and late-paying customers and determine whether the city recovers staff costs for after-hours service. Changes also intersect with upcoming Coffeyville utility rate changes as the city plans for regionalization.

What was discussed: staff proposed removing a 36-month lookback component and basing fees on calendar year, and recommended a $50 after-hours charge based on internal calculations. Staff explained after-hours was being defined as the City Crew’s after-hours window (roughly 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and said the current reconnection fee was lower than neighboring municipalities. Council Member Burch objected, saying she would not support a policy that "penalize[s] someone into paying their water bill" and argued higher fees could be unfair to residents who already face rising costs. Council Member Dye said habitual late payers "should just pay their bill," noting persistent nonpayment.

Direction and action: Mayor Elliott requested the ordinance be updated with a flat $75 reconnection fee and directed staff to return the revised ordinance to the June 1 council meeting for further workshop review. The council voted to table the ordinance until additional changes could be made (motion carried 3-0).

Next steps: staff will revise the ordinance language to reflect the council’s direction and include discussion of forgiveness or an application-based exception at a future workshop; the council will revisit the ordinance at its June 1 meeting.