In his biweekly memo to commissioners, Mr. Belleman said for the period June 25-July 21, 2010, there were 1,187 accounts receiving shut off notices which represented $400,500 in arrearage.
Bay City Utility Customers Rack Up $400,000 Past Due Accounts in One Month
Shutoff Notices in July Totaled 1,187; City Manager Urges Payment Plans
October 9, 2010
By: Dave Rogers
As City of Bay City utility arrearages mount, City Manager Robert V. Belleman is urging delinquent customers to make arrangements for payment plans.
Some customers claim their water and sewer bills have increased more than 40 percent over the past year and a half while electric bills have gone up about 25 percent.
One family of six that is not home all day reported receiving a $387 monthly bill and several homeowners reported increases of more than $100 a month.
"We've definitely got a crisis," said one city customer, noting that some homeowners are planning to move after receiving the higher bills.
In his biweekly memo to commissioners, Mr. Belleman said for the period June 25-July 21, 2010, there were 1,187 accounts receiving shut off notices which represented $400,500 in arrearage.
During this period there were 110 actual shutoffs still in place representing an outstanding amount of $57,826 in-city, and 8 accounts representing $3,507 outside of the city, according to Mr. Belleman.
The issue of the number of days billed has not been resolved. A city source reportedly said the bills were to be based on 45 days, rather than the normal 30 days -- thereby accounting for the higher amounts. However, one customer who has tracked the billings since January 2009 said the longest they received bills were for 36 days.
Rate increases have pushed bills higher. In January 2009 sewer costs were 6.98 per hundred cubic feet (CFW) while in June-July 2010 the rate was 9.85 per CFW.
Water rates went from 2.68 per CFW in 2009 to 3.15 in June-July 2010.
"The City struggles with customers who fail to notify us of their difficulties until after a shut off has occurred or on the date their bill is due," wrote the city manager, adding:
"I would encourage any customer to contact the Accounts Receivable Department and open up discussions regarding their utility account, their current financial constraints and whether there are agencies who can assist them in addressing the outstanding utility account balance."