Town of Saratoga embarks in water talk

The town of Saratoga and PMPC think they have the water billing and meter issues figured out.

“The data on the July bills are correct from what I can tell,” said PMPC engineer Ken Schwerdt in a Saratoga Town Council meeting Aug. 6. “I am really confident on how the system is working right now.”

In June, several water consumers saw incorrect bills due to discrepancies between software the town uses to calculate water usage and billing.

Saratoga Mayor John Zeiger said he is also confident the water bills will be correct for July, but urges consumers to come in if they think their June water bill is incorrect.

“For the month of June, we have adjusted over $32,000 worth of charges so I feel the majority of the accounts have been dealt with,” Zeiger said.

While discussing water-related issues, Zeiger stated in the meeting the town council and other town officials will start enforcing ordinances related to delinquent bills.

“What we are going to do until we decide otherwise, we are going to follow this to the teeth,” Zeiger said.

The ordinance states the town will charge a delinquency fee of $1.25 per service (water, landfill, sewer, etc.) on the 15th day of each month a bill is delinquent.

Before, the town charged percentages of customers’ bills as a delinquency fee, according to a statement made by Saratoga Town Clerk Suzie Cox in a previous meeting.

Zeiger said the town will also start enforcing ordinances related to shutting off services.

The ordinance also states, after 60 days of delinquency, “One-third of the delinquent billing together with all of the current billing is due and payable on or before the 15th day of the month immediately following the month of billing.”

According to the ordinance, the town clerk will send out a letter of notice to the property owner and consumer, notifying the property owner that all normal grace periods for the payment of the bills are forfeited, that one-third of the delinquency, together with the entirety of the current billing is payable on or before the 15th day of the month immediately following the month of billing. If the property owner fails to pay on or before the 15th day of the month immediately following the day of billing, the town can shut off services.

Zeiger said Aug. 6 he will ask Cox to send out notices to consumers with bills 60 or more days delinquent. The notice will call for payment by Sept. 13, or crews will be sent to start turning water off, as stated in the ordinance.

Zeiger asked Assistant Chief of Police Tom Knickerbocker to dispatch a police officer with crews.

“If people are parking their cars over the meter pits, do what you got to do. If that means tow them, tow them. If that means cite people, cite people,” Zeiger said.

The Saratoga Town Council also unanimously passed a motion entertained by Zeiger to give the town clerk or town treasurer power to waive or change delinquent fees for services.

“I am going to ask for a motion to allow our clerk or our treasurer or whoever to act on our behalf to adjust those if they need to be adjusted,” Zeiger said.

Councilwomen Judy Welton and Sue Howe voted in favor of the motion. Councilmen Mike McWain and Steve Wilcoxson were absent.

Ordinance No. 13.60.010 item 6, specifically gives only the governing body (Saratoga Town Council) sole power to waive interest due and owing from a property owner:

“The governing body of the town of Saratoga, upon affirmative majority vote, may waive interest due and owing from a property owner or consumer when the waiver of said interest is deemed to be in the best interest of the town of Saratoga,” the ordinance states. “The ability to waive interest for any given consumer or property owner shall be at the sole discretion of the governing body.”