Parking fines to increase soon
The Jefferson city council at its Jan. 14 meeting approved the third reading of an amended ordinance increasing parking fines. The ordinance will be effective after legal publication. Non-specific parking fines will increase from $10 to $25. Snow emergency parking violations will increase from $25 to $50.
Also at the meeting, the city council approved the first reading of an amended ordinance dealing with delinquent water accounts. The change takes away one of the tools city staff has to collect past due water bills and, according to city clerk Diane Kennedy, that makes it less likely customers will be able to “make arrangements” to pay late.
Attorney Bob Schwarzkopf explained to the council that the Code of Iowa several years ago was changed to allow cities to withhold service at a new address if anyone in that household was delinquent in water payments at the prior address.
The Code has been changed; cities can withhold new service only for the customer owing money, not another household member. The city ordinance is being amended to bring it into compliance. “It makes it harder to collect old accounts,” Schwarzkopf said about the change.
Kennedy said that it has been the practice to allow people to make arrangements to pay their bill a week or two late, but often times the money is never paid. Other times customers have been allowed to make a partial payment to avoid a disconnection, but they end up falling further and further behind on the bill. “One thing we’re looking at is not allowing those arrangements to be made. By the time they get to a disconnection, they’ve had a full month to pay the bill. We’re looking at making no arrangements past that one month,” Kennedy said. She added that the issue will be discussed with the council’s water and sewer committee.
Kennedy explained the city’s practice following the meeting. Jefferson water customers receive their bill the first of the month with a due date on the 15th. Late notices are generally sent out the 17th and the late payment penalty is added. Customers have 12 more days to pay the bill or to request a hearing if the amount is disputed. If the bill remains unpaid and no hearing is scheduled, the resident is given a 24-hour “red tag” notice of pending disconnection. In the past, customers have been allowed to make payment arrangements to avoid the disconnection.
Once the water is disconnected, a customer must pay the entire amount due plus an $85 re-connect fee.
Kennedy said that unlike gas or electricity, water service can be shut off any time of the year. She said there are typically three to seven disconnections per month. She estimates that currently past due water bills total between $17,000 and $18,000.
She said the office staff often understands the situations leading to unpaid bills and sympathizes with the circumstances. Other times, staff sees a dodge to avoid paying what’s due. “Either way, we’re running a business. It just comes down to that,” Kennedy said.
The second reading of the amended ordinance will be considered at the Jan. 28 city council meeting.
