Chamois citizens request payment plans for overdue water bills

By Theresa Brandt, Staff Writer
Posted 3/16/22

Chamois aldermen held a special meeting last Monday night to listen to water customers plead their case for a board-approved payment plan so that their water would not be shut off. Twenty-five …

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Chamois citizens request payment plans for overdue water bills

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Chamois aldermen held a special meeting last Monday night to listen to water customers plead their case for a board-approved payment plan so that their water would not be shut off. Twenty-five residents on the shut-off list received letters telling them that they were in danger of their water service being interrupted, and most of those customers came in and got their accounts up to date. Five customers requested to meet with aldermen to discuss special circumstances. 

One customer cited a recent medical condition with his wife and was granted a board-approved payment plan. The customer will pay $110 per month until the total account balance of $441.37 is paid.

Aldermen were sympathetic but also want to be clear on how things had to work.

“I want to make it real clear that it has to be paid and that there won’t be any leniency after this,” said Alderman Jeffrey Connor.

The customer noted that his work was offering overtime, his wife was doing better, and that he would have no problem making the payment.

“I’m sorry for your extenuating circumstances,” Connor said. “Life happens to all of us.”

Alderman Jim Wright also empathized with the city resident.

“You can’t control your health,” Wright said. “That’s something that’s unavoidable.”

“I agree,” Mayor Elise Brochu said. “But we also sit here every month and say we’re going to stop doing this and yet here we are again because life happens.”

Another customer with an account balance of $487.80 addressed the board. The customer had some confusion as to which bills were paid. The customer was given leeway to pay most of the bill by March 25 and the remainder of the balance in the next billing cycle.

Brochu warned the customer that if the payment was not made on March 25, the water would be shut off the next day.

The customer promised he would make the payment and thanked aldermen.

Another customer called in a request for extenuating circumstances, noting that the business she and her fiancé owned has been slow this winter. The customer was unable to come in because she had recently been exposed to COVID-19. The customer had a balance of $830.98. Aldermen agreed to a payment that evening of $300, a payment of $100 the following day, and the balance to be paid in full at the next billing cycle. 

Another customer was unable to come in to address the board but requested that she receive a board-approved payment plan for her account balance of $338.33. 

“The parameters we set were if they wanted us to make special considerations, they had to come to the meeting tonight,” Brochu said.

“I did explain that to her over the phone,” City Clerk Meghan Birmingham said.

“I feel like the line is the line, but it is up to you guys,” Brochu said. “I think having this meeting was more flexibility than we needed to have.”

“I agree,” Connor said. “If they didn’t show up, they didn’t care.”

“I’m going to say no,” Alderman Marty Gerloff said. “I don’t care what the excuse is, I’m done.”

“I’ll go along with what Marty is saying, we need to draw a line,” Connor said. “Their time was tonight.”

Aldermen refused to make a payment plan for the customer who did not attend the meeting.

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on March 16 at 7 p.m.