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Council adopts updated utility deposits and service charges; staff will offer payment options for vulnerable customers
Summary
Council approved changes to utility deposit and connection fees and increased certain service charges, including raising disconnection fees and formalizing temporary meter costs; staff said payment plans, extensions and mailed notices will remain available to customers unable to pay deposits.
Council considered and approved an ordinance amending the fee schedule for utility deposits and service charges. Christina Bishop, assistant finance director, summarized the changes: updated deposit requirements to ensure deposits cover one month (two months for poor payment history), increased connection fees to better reflect meter and installation costs, raised the disconnection fee from $50 to $75, and formalized a temporary meter installation/relocation fee that had been charged in practice.
Bishop said the utility billing team will continue to offer payment plans, extensions and outreach by email, phone and mail to customers who need help avoiding service interruptions. Council members asked staff to identify low‑barrier, free payment methods (bank draft/ACH) and to quantify how much time staff spends processing cash and checks so the council can evaluate whether to change payment options or fees associated with certain payment methods.
"When we were reviewing the current deposits that we're charging, really, they're not adequately charging an appropriate amount ... we want their deposit to cover at least one month of the average bill," the assistant finance director said. The ordinance passed by voice vote with council members asking for follow‑up data on cash/check volume and the administrative cost of payment processing.
