Utility account holders in the City of Salem can now expect service disconnects for nonpayment to resume July 15, according to an amendment to Bill No. 3480 by the Board of Aldermen Wednesday night at a specially called meeting. Previously, resuming disconnects was scheduled for July 1.
At a specially called Board of Aldermen meeting June 14, the board discussed the necessity of extending that deadline given the fact that 97-day utility bills arrived the first week of June, giving people an appropriate amount of time to pay or make payment arrangements.
“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),” said East Ward Alderwoman Kim Steelman at the Monday meeting.
“I agree with alderwoman Steelman. We need to amend Bill No. 3480 to move the deadline back a couple weeks,” said East Ward Alderman Shawn Bolerjack.
No board action was taken June 14 regarding the deadline due to the absence of that action on the agenda. City administrator Ray Walden drafted the appropriate amendment for Wednesday’s specially called meeting, which the board promptly and unanimously approved.
Resolution 18-2021 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 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 June 14.
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.
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 issue 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 the resolution authorized them to do so. The language of the resolution allows them to authorize any exception to the payment plan passed June 14.
“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.”
It was at that point at Monday’s meeting that Steelman and Bolerjack brought up concerns about the utility disconnect deadline, and the board directed Walden to draft an amendment to be presented to the board that was passed Wednesday evening.
Also at the June 14 meeting, the board passed Bill No. 3481, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a contract change order between the City of Salem and Smith & Edwards Construction, Inc. for the Hwy. 19 S. sewer extension.
Only three aldermen were in attendance at the two meetings. Alderman Kenny Nash died June 6. Appointment of an interim alderman was not on the agenda for Monday’s meeting.
When asked June 15 when he might appoint an aldermen, which would then require approval by a majority of the board of aldermen, Nash responded, “I am not ready to make that recommendation at this time. I do not want to make a rush decision but realize there is a need to fill the position as quickly as possible.”
