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Clerk urges move to 30‑day utility term amid delivery problems; council asks for options
Summary
City Clerk Jodi Wade told the council many customers report not receiving mailed utility bills and suggested moving to a 30-day term before shutoff, adding an account preference checkbox; council asked staff to explore notification services and return with recommendations.
City Clerk Jodi Wade told the council that several utility customers reported not receiving original mailed bills and said the current penalty-after-15-days policy creates hardship for residents who rely on staggered paychecks or Social Security. She proposed extending the payment term to 30 days before initiating shutoff and adding a delivery-preference checkbox (electronic, mail, or pickup) to new account applications to reduce billing inconsistencies and administrative costs.
Council Member Ed Smith asked whether the city could use an automated phone-notification service such as the one offered by Peoples Telecommunications. Clerk Wade said she had spoken to Peoples’ account manager to learn more. The council asked staff to gather options and costs and present recommendations at the next council meeting; no formal change to the billing policy was adopted at this meeting.
