Councilman Gerry Pounds reported a $2,000 loss in the ending balance for the water fund, much of which can be attributed to outstanding bills and possibly the theft of the city’s water from vacant homes.
The city heard from two residents, whose collective bills totaled more than $1,200, and worked to get the money paid back without disconnecting water from their homes. A third resident not present at the meeting had accumulated nearly $2,000 in delinquent bills and had refused to pay part of the payment.
The first case showed a discrepancy between the city’s records and physical service, as a $634 water bill had accumulated over a year’s time, all while the city showed the water to the residence had been cut off.
According to Councilman Bob Shealy, the locks on the residence’s water meter had been removed, making it possible for the water to be used, even after the city had the water cut off.
Mayor Travis Prichard told the resident that the council had a system in place for accepting back pay on bills and they would apply that system in her case.
“Every one of us pays the same rate, and we have to pay our water and sewer bill,” Prichard said. “The council voted some time ago in cases like this, you pay half the late pay plus the current month. We’ll work out some type of method of payment with the remaining owed.”
The mayor suggested freezing late charges until the bill was caught up, and the council agreed to work with the resident on the payments.
The next case saw a bill that had accumulated nearly $600 in charges from a leak at the residence. The council allowed the same assistance as the first case, in that it allowed the resident to pay half of the late fees and stay current on her monthly bill.
“The City of Waco has an obligation to provide these services to the citizens – this is not a money-making business,” Prichard told her.
The council voted to send the last delinquent bill to collections, as Shealy told them he suspected theft of the city’s water from the residence on a regular basis.
According to Shealy, property on King Street remains vacant with the water turned off, though he has found that someone manually turns the water back on. Shealy finally had the property’s water meter removed to prevent further theft. With meter-removal being the only solution for cases of water theft, Councilman Doug Brock suggested removing water meters from rental properties until a deposit is paid. Unfortunately, with the swift comings and goings of renters in Waco, city officials would not have a chance to keep records current.
The council closed the meeting with a vote to plan ways of cutting back on the city’s budget. Those suggestions will be presented at the next month’s meeting on Oct. 4.
The mayor and council will be at Waco Fest on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
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