 Clinton's City Council were among the few at the Monday meeting.Around the table, Jeff Morrow, Mickey Beck, Mayor Fred Cox, Gilbert Fortner, Howard Dillard, Yvette Thomas and Phyllis Campbell. A regional director of Utilities, Inc. came from North Carolina to the Clinton City Council for their May meeting. Martin Lashua, Regional Director, of Utilities, Inc. brought customer service supervisors and workers from the Middlesboro office to the meeting with the expressed purpose of working out billing complaints that came up at the April Council meeting.
The team of three women and two men were ready to answer the public’s questions. There was only one problem. The public was thin on the ground at the May meeting. It seems that word didn’t reach the public that the Utilities, Inc. folks would be at the meeting. Although the council had discussed inviting water company officials to a meeting, when they accepted, no press announcement was made. The local newspaper, the Hickman County Gazette, now edited by former mayor Tommy Kimbro goes to press on Mondays. The paper comes out on Tuesday and generally hits mailboxes on Wednesday – so unless the visit was in last week’s paper, Gazette customers wouldn’t hear about extra guests at the meeting.
Mayor Cox told the water company visitors that he wanted to give them a chance to “tell their side” since they had been attacked at the April meeting.
To their credit, city council members, city staff and the few spectators raised as many general questions as they could. Council member Phyllis Campbell told the visitor that although Hickman County is a farming community that sounds wealthy, the city is not. Council member Mickey Beck explained that the city had many “homestead exemption” households (those who pay less than full real estate tax because of their age), disabled and unemployed families. The water bill is hitting these households hard.
Mr. Lashua said the billing problems were linked to a new software program. He said the “glitches” were being worked out. He denied that there was any estimated billing going on – except for the month of December when a reporting problem kept the actual readings from getting to the billing office.
One local resident related how her mother contacted the water company because of an unusually high bill. One employee in Middlesboro told the lady the meter was misread. Later that day, another water company employee told her that there was no mistake – the customer had a water leak. Hearing this, the customer hired a plumber from Mayfield who came out and read the meter and said the original reading was a mistake. The resident told the water company that the plumber’s bill would be coming to them.
Mr. Lashua said, “It sounds like it was our mistake.”
Local residents were urged to contact the water company about difficulty paying their bill before they are cut off. The customer service manager for the area, Linda Mathews said before a customer is cut off, a letter offering a payment plan is mailed to the customer. She told the Council that customers are not cut off for estimated bills. A reading of the meter is performed before a customer’s water is turned off.
One local resident told the Council that the problem is not just the water bill, but the high sewer charge. Clinton increased its sewer billing recently to pay for work on the sewer system. When asked about billing for sewer, Lashua told the Council that Clinton is unusual in that Utilities, Inc. bills for sewer service, but does not own it.
Donna, an employee of City Hall, asked the question of the evening. “Why the big water bill increase?” Mr. Lashua explained that operating costs had gone up and that the accountants had figured that this increase was what the company needed.
The theme of the evening was communication, with all present urging better communication between the water company and the customers. Lashua said that the Kentucky Public Service Commission is there to help customers with problems that can’t be worked out with their company.
When asked by Councilman Beck if the water company had asked the PSC for a bigger increase than it expected to receive, Lashua said the accountants had worked out what was needed, but it is not a sure thing that is what the Public Service Commission will give the company.
One person who was universally praised for her work with customers was Reba Standifer, the customer service rep who takes calls from disgruntled Clinton residents. Customers and Council complimented her for her sympathetic and prompt handling of complaints.
Lashua was asked if he and his team could come back to Clinton and work with individual customers on their billing complaints. He was receptive, but no date was set.
It can only be hoped that when customer service reps drive 397 miles from Middlesboro to Clinton that customers with issues will be around to talk to them.
|
