Allyn port commissioners tackle unpaid water bills

The Port of Allyn is owed thousands of dollars in unpaid water bills.

Commissioners held a special meeting Monday to decide whether to attempt collection or write off the debts.

"As of January 1st, 2023, accounting responsibilities were taken over by the Port current accountant, Erin Civilla. The previous accountant had difficulties accurately getting billing out consistently and removing and/or adding new users upon changes in service address occupants. This left outstanding balances with customers who are current on all billings after January 1st, 2023. These customers in some cases are not aware of the billings owed as they have not seen the bills due to them never being sent out. Billings also were caught up in some instances with various owners, but some slipped through the cracks of the previous accountant," Executive Director Travis Merrill wrote in a report presented to commissioners.

Customers owe $16,343.23 from January 2023 to the present, according to the report. The document doesn't list the amount for unpaid accounts before that time, but Merrill said at the meeting it's "more than several" accounts.

"Some billings were started on time and sent out for just a few months, no payments were received, nor was any water used, then billing stopped altogether or erratic, with billing happening without any consistently. This occurred in newly built houses before ownership and/or leasing took place or when homes changed hands. When leasing took place new tenants did not contact the Port and billing just continued to be sent to the original owner of record or as described above, erratically or not at all," according to the report.

Merrill presented commissioners with three options in the report.

In the first option, all customers would get notices about the unpaid fees from prior to 2023.

"I would suggest if this position was adopted that 90 days were allowed to get these unpaid fees into a payment plan or get completely paid off before further action. In all these cases water services were supplied and either used or available for use to owners and/or tenants per the Port of Allyn Water Policy," Merrill wrote.

In the second option, customers could suspend the unpaid fees until the owners sell their properties and then the port can recover the fees then.

"If this time frame extended past the statute of limitations of 6 years for any fees to be collected by utility services, then they would be waived, and the Port would not seek payment," according to the report.

The third option is to forgive all unpaid amounts before the new accounting system was implemented in January 2023.

Developer Joseph Cedarland gave public comments asking commissioners to waive the back bills. He said there had been problems with "irregular billing" and his customers were allowed to get very far behind.

"When people are not given timely billings, they tend not to pay on time," Cedarland said.

He said his company should not have to be a collection agency for the port.

"We desperately need the funds," Commissioner Judy Scott said, but still favored the third option of dismissing the debt.

"I would like to move forward with a clean slate for everybody," Scott said.

Commissioner Michael Curtain disagreed.

"We need to go after them and shut down their water if they haven't paid in 90 days," he said.

Merrill said the port would always work with customers to come up with a payment plan. He explained that the recommended options were to "clean this up." Commissioners needed to decide what to do about unpaid bills before 2023, when billings from the port were not consistent, recent unpaid bills sent out through a new, timely system.

Merrill said some customers have no idea they owe money under the "old system."

Curtain said the debts were two separate issues.

Commissioner John Sheridan agreed and said he wasn't ready to make a decision on the three options.

"People owe who don't know they owe. That's the problem," he said.

Sheridan was comfortable collecting the recent past-due amounts and commissioners unanimously approved sending out past due reminder notices.

The notices will go out to all customers on the new billing system who are 90 days past due on their bill.

"In order to avoid additional penalties and/or disconnection of service, the above balance must be paid in full. If you are unable to make sufficient payment, you may be eligible for a payment plan. If no payment or payment plan is received within 10 days of the Past Due Reminder Notice, the Port of Allyn Water System will issue a Notice of Intent to Disconnect Service," the approved notice states.

Payment must be received within 20 days of the disconnection notice or water will be turned off.

"Should there be a notice of a reconnection fee?" Curtain asked.

Merrill said the water policy mentions a fee, but it can change from year to year and the customer will be notified separately.

Commissioners postponed a decision on what to do about the older unpaid bills until Merrill could ask the port's attorney for advice.

Oyster House work approved

Commissioners approved a contract to finish exterior work on the Sargent Oyster House at the Port of Allyn Waterfront Park.

Shawn Ames, with Tremont Builders, will fabricate door and frames, paint the exterior, repair siding and install beveled corner boards, among other things, at will stop work at or under $25,000, according to the contract.

Scott has previously worked with Ames.

"He has done an excellent job with restoring, refurbishing and rebuilding the Oyster House," Scott said.

She said Ames has found historically accurate replacement parts for the building.

35th District Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, has embraced the project and its funding, according to Scott.

"So many people in the community used to work there," Scott said about the historic 1951 Oyster House that was moved to the park in 2014 to save it from demolition.

"The money has been there for a long time," Sheridan said. "Time to go."

Commissioners unanimously signed off on the work, which will start immediately.