A much-discussed item on the agenda during Monday night’s special called meeting of the board of aldermen was Resolution 18-2021, which amends the City of Salem payment plan regarding utility bills.
The resolution – a combination of the payment plan already in place and changes made Monday – now authorizes the mayor, board of aldermen president, city administrator, director of public works or utilities supervisor to make exceptions to the policy and passed unanimously.
The exceptions are needed, says board president Kim Steelman.
The language of the current payment plan contains requirements that Steelman stated she believes are not reasonable given the circumstances surrounding the late billing cycles and the 97-day bills that were sent this month to utility account holders in Salem.
“I feel like it’s our (the City of Salem’s) fault,” stated Steelman when addressing the city’s inexpedience of drafting Resolution 18-2021 Monday night.
Additionally, Steelman addressed a couple of the specific exceptions she believes need to be made to the city’s plan.
One is that an account holder would be required to pay 50 percent down on their past due bill in order to begin a payment plan with the city. Steelman stated that’s problematic, because she thinks that there will be a lot of people who need to be on payment plans who do not have 50 percent to put down toward these months-long bills.
East Ward Alderman Shawn Bolerjack, seated next to Steelman, nodded his agreement.
“So, they wouldn’t have to do the 50 percent down?” asked Bolerjack.
“If one of these people (staff authorized by resolution 18-2021) approve that exception, they don’t,” said Walden.
Another is that payment plan installments are not to exceed more than 12 months, which the board also described as problematic.
Bolererjack asked Walden if the mentioned city officials could make exceptions to that requirement of the plan. Walden confirmed that the wording of resolution 18-2019 authorized them to do so. The language of the resolution allows them to authorize any exception to the payment plan passed Monday night.
“Are we confident that that’s going to be able to be done in a timely manner?” Steelman asked. “When people come into that office that day they’re going to be able to get that done in their visit there?”
Steelman expressed concern about the availability of the listed officials.
“I would expect that any one of those listed individuals would be available at any time that we’re open for business,” Walden said. “We will coordinate to make sure that that’s the case, between staff. Mark (Director of Public Works Mark Nash), or I, or Jennifer (Utilities Supervisor Jennifer Cochran) will be available to make that happen.”
“So, if a customer came in tomorrow they could set that up, then?” asked West Ward Alderman Greg Parker.
“Yes, if this is approved tonight,” said Walden.
“Good, because it’s a lot of added stress to already have people come in and make these payment plans. I just don’t want to add any more stress on people,” said Steelman.
“That’s definitely an issue that we can take care of. At least one of the three of us will be available all of the time,” Walden assured Steelman.
Steelman also expressed another concern regarding expedience of action by the board and city officials.
“We approved a payment plan for everyone who needed it,” she said. “We decided that it was going to be individualized for each one (utility account holders).”
The most recent utility committee meeting was April 26, after which the board of aldermen approved their recommendation for a payment plan.
“So, I’m a little confused, why, if we needed to go through this process, that it wasn’t done?” she said.
“It’s my understanding, alderwoman Steelman, that in the absence of board action that staff was limited to the parameters as a payment plan was virtually approved and amended,” Walden said. “The 50-percent down and out to 12 months. “Understanding board feedback to wanting exceptions to that, language was drafted for review and that’s what’s presented tonight for board action that will let us do something different than that.”
Steelman also brought up concerns about this decision being made halfway through the month. May 3, the board passed (Bill No. 3480) that will resume the disconnect of utilities and penalties for delinquent accounts, effective July 1.
“With us just now making this amendment, I’m afraid that we’re going to run really short on time if we keep that deadline July 1 (the disconnect deadline),” she said.
“It was a long time ago, so if that was something that we needed to have ready to go for this huge bill, that’s on us that that wasn’t done,” Steelman said. “I have concerns that people are not going to have time to get what needs to be done, done.”
“I agree with alderwoman Steelman,” stated Bolerjack. “We need to amend Bill No. 3480 to move the deadline back a couple weeks.”
The board agreed that the deadline should be closer to the middle part of July.
No board action regarding the deadline was taken due to the absence of that action on the agenda. Walden told the board that he could draft the appropriate amendment for the agenda of the upcoming regular June 21 meeting.
Only three aldermen were in attendance Monday night. Alderman Kenny Nash died June 6. No mention was made Monday night pertaining to a replacement.
See more on this story in the June 22 edition of The Salem News, as well coverage of the joint meeting of the capital improvements and finance committees.
