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Council forgives half of resident's high water bill after leak
Summary
Following a review of city policy and submitted repair documentation, the council voted to forgive $499 — roughly 50% of the overage — on an account tied to Kenneth Grimsby after he reported a leak and provided an invoice.
The Westfir City Council applied its standard practice for handling unusually high water bills and approved a reduction for an account on the Jan. 6 agenda.
City staff explained the policy: when an account holder presents evidence that a high bill resulted from an unexpected leak and shows a repair invoice, the council typically forgives 50% of the overage and may establish a payment plan if the reduced balance remains unaffordable. The clerk noted the account holder may avoid shutoff during consideration if the base rate is paid.
The account holder described his experience: "I discovered the leak the day before Thanksgiving. I immediately called a plumber...the repair was done the day after Thanksgiving," and said he provided the repair invoice to council. The bill spanned two billing cycles because the meter reading day fell between the leak and repair.
A motion was made and seconded to forgive $499 of the outstanding balance; the council recorded three ayes and the motion carried. The council confirmed the repair invoice was provided and that the account holder did not need a payment plan.
Clerk and councilors discussed documentation and processing steps: because a council member had declared a conflict of interest in this matter pursuant to ORS 244.120C, staff agreed to delegate final processing steps to a different administrator and to document the delegation for the public record.
The council asked staff to ensure records of the repair invoice and the vote are kept with the account file.
