Council waives up to $2,775.55 in utility penalties for McGill property owner

The Ely City Council voted unanimously May 8 to remove up to $2,775.55 in past-due utility fee penalties for the property at 24 Avenue A, McGill, after a recommendation from the Municipal Utilities Board.

Councilman Terrill Trask moved to approve the penalty removal; Councilman Dennis Perea seconded the motion, and the council carried it unanimously. The agenda item was presented as a request from property owner Elaine Blackham; the terms of any prior payment arrangements and whether Ms. Blackham had paid a full balance of $4,457.22 before receiving a refund of $1,681.67 were raised by public commenter George Chachas during the meeting.

George Chachas asked the council to provide the letter outlining the terms given to Ms. Blackham and said he had been required in his own case to pay in full before receiving a refund. The council’s action removed the stated penalties; the record at the meeting did not include the text of any written agreement or confirmation of whether Ms. Blackham paid the larger amount before any refund. The council did not attach conditions to the waiver at the meeting.

The council approved the motion during the municipal utilities agenda and did not discuss revising the city’s overall penalty-removal policy during the session. The council may have additional records or correspondence on file related to the case; public commenters requested those documents at the meeting.