HUBBARD UTILITIES Ordinance targets late bill payers

Utilities would be shut off if payment is more than 25 days late.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
HUBBARD -- Those who put off paying their water, sewer and electric bills will be sorry under an ordinance being considered by city council.
Presented to council Monday, the ordinance says utility bills issued at the beginning of each month will be considered delinquent if they're not paid by the 25th day of the month.
"Shut off/service termination shall occur on the 26th calendar day of the billing month. If the 26th day is a legal holiday or weekend day, the shut-off day shall occur on the next regular work day," the proposed ordinance reads.
Currently, two or more months can elapse before service is terminated, said auditor Michael C. Villano, who drafted the proposal and a companion utility deposit ordinance using policies and procedures from 20 other cities.
Included in proposal
The proposed new payment ordinance includes procedures for those with disputed bills and those needing payment extensions and appealing shutoffs, Villano said.
"We need a structured policy that covers all three utilities the same way. It is a concern anytime you have delinquent bills," said William Williams, D-at large, chairman of council's utilities committee.
The city is owed about $80,000 in unpaid utility bills, he said.
Lisha Pompili Baumiller, D-3rd, however, is concerned about shutting off utilities and would rather see late fees to discourage delinquents. "You don't want to just shut off somebody's utilities after 25 days," she said.
Meanwhile, Richard Keenan, D-4th, chairman of council's safety committee, announced that committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 10. City officials are considering rehabilitating and continuing to use the 1870s vintage police station, which has a mold problem, building a new station, or building an addition to city hall to house the police station.
An architectural firm has estimated a new police station would cost $1.3 to $1.4 million. The city has available to it a $1.1 million low-interest loan for construction from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The administration proposes putting a levy on the May ballot to determine whether residents are willing to pay for a new police facility.