HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/26/2005 Adjourned Meeting 12.4
• CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
APRIL 26, 2005 - 7:30 A.M. - 9:00 A.M.
YAKIMA CITY HALL - COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1. Roll Call
• Present:
Council: Mayor Paul George, presiding, Council Members Ron Bonlender,
Dave Edler (after 7:55 a.m.), Mary Place, Bernard Sims, and Susan
Whitman (after 7:42 a.m.)
Staff: City Manager Zais; Rita Anson, Finance & Budget Director; Doug
Mayor, Wastewater Manager; Dave Brown, Water & Irrigation
Manager; Pete Hobbs, Customer Service Manager; Nancy Fortier,
Refuse Manager; and Acting City Clerk Watkins
Absent: Neil McClure (excused)
2. Study Session on proposal to modernize and update Utility Customer Service
Mayor George described this effort as the result of the Council's interest in updating
policies in a billing system that hasn't had an in -depth modification in twenty years. We
want to build a system where the various departments communicate better and the
billing is fair, sensitive to utility customers needs, and the city properly bills and
legitimately receives money to which it is entitled. There was a policy issue in the
budget last year allowing us to evaluate the needs for a new system.
•
Council Member Sims complimented the proposal and commented that the Customer
Service Manager, Pete Hobbs, should handle the issues with the landlords.
Rita Anson, Finance and Budget Director, noted there are five major items that requires
Council policy decisions. She recommended a Council subcommittee be selected to go
through those items. Council Member Place suggested reviewing the items in question
now. Council reviewed II. Proposed Major Policy Changes — Summary, the
Recommendations column beginning on Page 3 of the proposal: (only items discussed are
listed)
2.* Utilities in Landlords' Name
Option A — Require account to be in property owner's name.
Council stressed the importance of letting the landlords know whom the billing is
going to go to. The major reason for the suggested change is the high rate of
turnover. The recommendation is to have all utilities in the landlord's name, or at
the very least, for all multi -unit customers. They expect all irrigation will stay in
the owner's name. It was suggested that this change be presented at a Landlord
Association meeting. Another possibility, if it remained in the tenant's name,
would be to include the property owner's name in any collection process.
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APRIL 26, 2005 — ADJOURNED MEETING
4, Deposits - A change would be to include all utilities, we currently exclude
irrigation. Council agreed.
5. Interest on deposits - We also currently pay interest on deposits. It was the
consensus of Council to discontinue paying interest. Further discussion covered •
the length of time deposits are held. The recommendation was to make it the
same as the Washington Utilities Commission (3 months).
At this point, Council Member Bonlender suggested as Council goes through this
document they identify items that need further review by a subcommittee. Those items
with an asterisk ( *) following the number are to be reviewed by a subcommittee (selected
later in the meeting).
6. Reactivation of service after suspension. At this point the subject of credit cards
arose and the recommendation was to not accept them for payment.
7. Interest on past due balance — The recommendation in the proposal is to not
charge interest on past due balances because they are recommending various
fees and charges instead. Council agreed with the recommendation.
8. Fees and Charges - not proposing to nickel and dime the customer to death. If
you open an account, pay on time, don't tamper with the meter, and don't bounce
checks, you won't get charged extra. If you want an extra level of service,
(examples were given), there will be a fee. The theory is to not spread the cost
of the extra service to other customers.
9. Meter /Service Tampering— Due to experiences with chronic meter tamperers, the
proposal is to put on a seal, if it gets broken, charge a fee.
10. Flat Monthly Fees (including Ready -to -serve and pre treatment charges) —
Council discussed ready -to -serve charges for wastewater, irrigation, refuse in
detail.
11.* Delinquent Accounts and Utility Liens — Mrs. Anson explained how liens work on
utilities under the Washington State Code. A lien has different meanings
depending on the type of service. A lien for water provides the only means to
shut off the water at that premise, and by state code, the service needs to be
restored after a payment is received for four months worth of billing. It doesn't
allow following up with a property lien. But, under the state regulations, property
liens are allowed for delinquent sewer and refuse accounts. We have two years
to follow up on the lien, basically by foreclosing. If you don't follow up and
foreclose on the property, after two years the lien falls off and you no longer have
a lien. The issue for Council direction is, do you want the City to pursue
foreclosing on a property for a delinquent utility account. The ramification of
foreclosing is taking their home away. This item was referred to the
subcommittee.
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APRIL 26, 2005 - ADJOURNED MEETING
Bundling was discussed at this point. The City has four different utilities. The major
incentive to pay bills is the risk of shutting off the water. If you are a customer that has
more than one utility serviced by the City, when you make a payment it is applied at the
City's discretion, e.g. water /refuse /wastewater. We have the authority to apply that
payment to any of those utility accounts as we see fit. We chose to bundle and prorate
across all utilities. We don't want the customer to come in and say they want to pay their
water bill but not the rest of their utilities, as that just takes away our hammer. Council
Member Place expressed dislike for shutting off someone's water for not paying for
irrigation. It was her opinion that should be a separate item. Mrs. Anson explained that
the underwriters for our irrigation bonds require that we have the ability to turn off
domestic water in case of nonpayment for irrigation and we are locked in to those rules.
Dave Brown, Water and Irrigation Manager, clarified that irrigation has to be in the
property owners name, so we would not be shutting off the tenants drinking water. Mrs.
Anson noted that with nonpayment of irrigation we don't have authority to lien the
property, so we cut off service. Currently we have chosen not to place liens on
properties. Mrs. Anson explained that the information about liens is all new legal
interpretation not known prior to developing their recommendation. Therefore, it needs
to be reconsidered by the subcommittee.
An ad -hoc committee was appointed to review and make recommendations on the
noted items. The committee members are Council Members Sims, Bonlender and
Edler.
12. Irrigation/Wastewater Base: Domestic water used for Irrigation - not to be
charged Wastewater - this item is acceptable and doesn't need to go to the
subcommittee.
13.* Wastewater Connection Required - referred to the subcommittee.
14. Right to Access Property - City Manager Zais clarified that if there is a refusal of
the right to entry you cannot enter without going through proper legal procedures.
That is why the meters are generally in the right of way or an easement.
It was confirmed that Items 2, 11, 13, and 16 would be reviewed by the ad hoc
subcommittee. Mrs. Anson said the committee will get together to discuss the items and
once they are satisfied will bring the proposal back to the full Council for final direction to
prepare legal documentation to go forward.
3. Audience Comments (8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.)
No one came forward to speak.
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APRIL 26, 2005 — ADJOURNED MEETING
4. Adjournment
PLACE MOVED AND SIMS SECONDED TO ADJOURN TO APRIL 27, 2005 AT 4:00
P.M. FOR A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING WITH THE BUDGET STRATEGY TEAM.
The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 9:05 a.m.
READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY 1
CO CI. /EMBER DATE
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COUNCIL ME BER DATE
ATTEST: 1
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ACTING CITY CLERK AUL P. GEORGE, MAYS
Minutes prepared by Linda Watkins. An audio and video tape of this meeting are available in the City
Clerk's Office
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