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Scranton council orders testing of disputed water meter after billing complaints; councilmember says he shut it off
Summary
After two citizen complaints about water meters and a disputed high bill, the council voted to send meters to the vendor for laboratory testing, retain the equipment as city property, and asked residents to withhold payment until results are returned.
At its Oct. 15, 2024 meeting, the City of Scranton council voted to send several water meters to the manufacturer for testing after residents raised concerns about incorrect bills and possible damage.
Resident Geoff McIntyre told the council he was disputing a bill dated Sept. 20, 2024, saying the usage recorded was implausibly high for a location with nothing running. James Palacio of the maintenance department told the council a meter installed Aug. 16, 2024 had been entered into the billing system with the prior reading (8210) rather than starting at 00000, which made subsequent bills incorrect. James said he rechecked the meter and offered to replace it again; council members asked that the removed meter be sent to the vendor for testing and instructed McIntyre to hold off paying the disputed bill until the meter is tested and the item is revisited in one month.
Separately, Brenda Lester asked for clarification about a bill her son Jacob received for a damaged meter. Brenda said she had spoken with the meter manufacturer, who told her the kind of screen failure reported should not happen from sun exposure alone. City Attorney Todd Luckman said the council was proposing tampering as a cause; on the record, Councilman Brian Lester said, "I did, I tampered with it and I’m the one who shut it off." The council directed the meter be retained as city property and sent for testing; a motion to have the meter tested carried 4-0.
City staff told the council testing timelines are uncertain and could take months. James Palacio said he would contact the sales representative to arrange pickup and testing. The council did not set a new charge amount pending test results; earlier minutes indicated a $300 charge had been discussed, while one speaker noted the meter retail cost as $190.00.
The council’s action was procedural and limited to sending the equipment for vendor testing and holding payment while the issue is investigated. No further enforcement or billing changes were adopted at the meeting; the matter will be revisited after test results are returned.
