By Liz McMahan
David Henkleman recently came home from work to discover he had no water service.
He said he always tries to pay his bill on time, so surely, he thought, it was a mistake.
It wasn’t.
Henkleman believes the city unfairly charged him late fees, disconnect fees and reconnect fees.
The City Council will take up discussion of its billing practices at its meeting Monday night.
Councilor Shawn Raper told the council’s Public Works Committee last week that he thinks that of the three utility companies Muskogee residents deal with, the city water company is the most unfriendly with its customers.
He said he looked into Henkleman’s complaint and discovered:
• The city water customer has one week less to pay his water bill than what the natural gas or electric company allows.
• The city is the only utility company in town that requires its customers to come to City Hall, show a photo identification and post a $60 meter deposit. The gas and electric company do not have that requirement.
In a memo sent to the City Council Friday afternoon, City Clerk Pam Bush stated it would cost the city approximately $140,000 to give the city’s customers more time to pay their bills.
The city now averages receiving nearly $281,000 per year in late fees.
“If the due date was extended by seven days, allowing the customer more time to pay, the city would anticipate approximately half of our customers would do so,” Bush wrote.
Henkleman said he has noticed that if a due date is missed on a gas or electric bill, a 1.5 percent late fee is charged and the past due amount goes on the next bill. The city charges a 10 percent late fee and disconnects service before the next bill is sent. A $20 disconnect and reconnect fee is charged.
Henkleman said he may have gotten a cutoff notice on his water bill. The notices have been changed to a 4x5-inch yellow postcard.
Henkleman said if received the notice, he might have discarded it, thinking it was an advertisement, he said.
“It looks pretty much like what you get for a cremation service,” he said.
The city turns off water service to 400 to 500 individuals each month, Janet Brown, city revenue manager, told the council’s Public Works Committee. About one-half of those whose water is cut off pay their bill, the 10 percent late fee and the $20 connect and reconnect fee the day the water service is turned off, Brown said.
She said the number of cutoffs has gone down in recent months.
The council changed city policy a few months ago. Anyone owing more than $10 is on the cutoff list, said Pam Bush, city clerk.
“Usually, we have the same customers on the cutoff list month in and month out, and the people who never pay on time will continue never paying on time,” Bush said. “Our good customers are going to continue to be great customers and continue to pay their bills.”
Reach Liz McMahan at 684-2926 or lmcmahan@muskogeephoenix.com.
