City nears online water payments

Online payments are expected to begin in October

City nears online water payments

Staff report

Youngstown

The city’s board of control approved measures that will enable water customers to pay their bills and manage their accounts online.

The board, consisting of Mayor Charles Sammarone, Law Director Anthony Farris and Finance Director David Bozanich, approved, signing contracts with companies Wednesday to provide the software and computer infrastructure.

City council approved legislation last week authorizing the board of control to sign contracts to allow water customers to pay their bills online beginning in October.

The online system also will allow city water customers to review their last 31 monthly bills, view their water consumption, pay bills online and sign up for paperless bills.

The water department has about 52,500 customers and estimates that about 10 percent to 15 percent will use the online credit-card system. About 1.5 percent of customers now pay with credit cards or from their bank accounts.

Also Wednesday, the board of control approved a $187,211 payment to Marucci and Gaffney Excavating Co. of Youngstown for repairs to a broken and collapsed sewer pipes that left a large depression on Tod Avenue at Goleta Avenue.

The board also approved a $97,455 payment to Marucci and Gaffney for replacement of a sanitary sewer that was causing several backups on Wakefield Avenue.