— FORT GIBSON – After more than 25 people attended a meeting Monday, the Fort Gibson Board of Trustees decided not to pass a controversial ordinance on its utility bills.

However, another proposed ordinance that would have required all multi-unit properties to go to master meters was tabled indefinitely.

Instead, there will be several policy changes made to utility deposits, cutoff dates and more after the board voted to go with an alternate plan.

Over the last several months, the board has discussed a proposed ordinance that would require any outstanding utility bill to be paid before a new tenant could have utility service started.

Landlords were strongly against the ordinance, and many spoke to the board  before the vote.

Frank and Carolyn Feldman, owners of Town and Country Mobile Home Park, were stringently against forcing landlords to pay former tenants’ outstanding utility bills.

“You will be forcing us to pay for other people’s problems, for other people’s debts,” Frank Feldman told the board. “That is what is wrong with this country right now, and we don’t need this anymore.”

Feldman said he crunched some numbers based on his 22 tenants and their average bills and said the money the town said it has lost over 12 years doesn’t amount to much.

The town originally released numbers that showed more than $72,000 had been lost over 12 years.

Feldman figured his tenants alone paid more than $22,000 in utility bills in the last 12 months.

“That’s the point I’m trying to make,” he said. “If you start playing around with numbers here, you’ll see it’s policy and management you are having a problem with.”

Ultimately, the board decided to make several specific policy changes instead of forcing landlords to pay.

“Me personally, the person I want to see pay the water bill is the renter, the person that stood at that counter right there and paid for water service,” said Mayor Steven Hill.

The board voted unanimously to:

• No longer allow “pay-laters,” written promises to pay overdue bills within 10 days customers were formerly allowed.

• The entire bill must be paid by cut-off day. Failure to pay within five days of cut-off day will result in the account being finaled.

• Renter deposits increase from $100 to $150.

• Homeowner deposits increase from $80 to $100.

• Upon first bill default resulting in service disconnection, an additional $50 deposit will be required.

• After second default, an additional $75 deposit will be required.

• Applications will be amended to include names of all persons living in the home over 18 years of age, the number of all persons under 18 living in the residence, and the landlord’s name, address and telephone number.

• Adjustments will be made to an account only for a service line leak.

• Adjustments for a service line leak will only be allowed one time in a 12-month period.

The board also discussed a proposed ordinance to require property owners of multi-unit properties to install master meters requiring the landlord to pay one utility bill for all of his or her units. That issue was tabled indefinitely.

The next Fort Gibson Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 27.

Reach Wendy Burton at (918) 684-2926 or wburton@muskogeephoenix.com.