|
Melton is especially concerned about
the delinquents who are on combined sewers and who know they can't
be disconnected because the other sewer users are paying their
bills.
For those on single sewer lines, the
procedure has been to warn delinquent users that their sewer
connections will be dug up and service disconnected. First,
certified letters are sent to delinquents; then, if there is no
response, sewer plant employees put tags on their doorknobs, warning
them their service will be cut off in 72 hours.
Most of the time these warnings bring
users to City Hall with a payment, according to City Clerk Juanita
Josserand.
On a few occasions, delinquent users
have waited until they saw the backhoe idling in the street in front
of the house before coming up with the overdue fee, Mark Mathon,
city engineer, noted.
However, the situation for those on
combined sewers gives delinquents a big advantage. The connection
for the combined sewers is usually on private property, with only
one line going out to the street, and the city cannot dig on private
property without the owner's permission. The city must dig outside
the property line, on the easement or even in the street if
necessary, Mathon said.
If the city dug up a combined sewer
line, it would be shutting off service to users who are paying the
fees.
Melton and the council discussed ways
to get payment from delinquent users on combined lines but came up
against the same old obstacles.
Putting a lien on the property is
useless, according to City Attorney Bill Bates, because those
properties are usually behind with mortgage and other payments as
well, and if foreclosed, the mortgage payment takes precedence over
the sewer lien.
"Chances of getting any money are
extremely remote," he said.
Alderman Glenn Shelton asked if the
city could tie the water and sewer together and cut off the water
service. However, Josserand pointed out, the city doesn't own the
water company, so that method can't be used either.
It is also illegal to publish the names
of delinquent sewer users, Bates said. Josserand had suggested this
might motivate some users to pay their bills.
 [to top of second column in
this article] |
Turning the delinquent user over to a
collection agency costs the city money, Alderman Verl Prather
pointed out, because the agency takes one-third of the money it
collects. However, as its only recourse, the council decided to
continue turning over delinquents on combined sewers to a collection
agency.
The council did decide that if a sewer
bill came due on a date that was a weekend or holiday when City Hall
wasn't open, it would be considered paid on time if it was received
the next business day, and no penalty would be charged.
Sewer bills go out three times a year
and are due the 20th of the month. The penalties for an overdue bill
are an added 10 percent on the day after they are due, an added 1
percent at the end of the month in which they are due, and $25 per
month added on the 15th of each month that the bill goes unpaid.
In other business, the council heard a
report from the ordinance and zoning committee regarding the
ordinance for itinerant merchants. The ordinance requires that
merchants who are in the city less than 60 days per year must pay a
fee of $25 a day. If these merchants are in the city for more than
60 days, they are considered regular merchants and do not pay a fee.
The ordinance and zoning committee,
which met before the workshop meeting, did not amend the ordinance
on itinerant merchants but did create a policy stating there would
be no fees for merchants in the city over 60 days. They also asked
Josserand to check on ways to make sure the sales tax from those in
the city more than 60 days would come back to the city.
Alderwoman Martha Neitzel announced
that newly elected county board member Pat O'Neill would attend the
next council meeting to give a report on the changes made in the
county's animal control program.
Police Chief Rich Montcalm announced a
meeting to be held on Feb. 20 at the Recreation Center with local
businesses who sell alcohol and tobacco and representatives of the
Illinois Liquor Control Commission, the state police and the
secretary of state's office.
The first
meeting on the upcoming year's budget was set for Saturday, March
15, at 9 a.m. at City Hall.
[Joan Crabb]
|
|
He is leaving so he can spend more time
with his two sons, seventh- and third-graders, who are both
participating in sports and in many other activities.
"I feel sorry that I can't finish my
term, but the boys are growing up and I'm missing it," he said.
"This is the age where they're doing everything. I've missed teacher
conferences, school events and sports. I don't want to miss being
with the boys as they are growing up.
"It was a tough decision. The city
council is important, but the boys are more important," he said. He
noted that he has missed several city council meetings lately
because of his sons' activities.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
Montcalm's term expires in April of
2005. He said he had recommended that Mayor Beth Davis appoint
Derrick Crane, 540 Maywood Drive, to fill his unexpired term. Crane
is running against Martha Neitzel in the Feb. 25 Republican primary.
Neitzel was appointed to the council in November of 2002 to fill the
unexpired term of the late Joseph Stone.
Because
there is less than 28 months left of Montcalm's term, whoever is
appointed will serve until it expires in 2005. It is too late for
another candidate to file for either the primary or the April 1
general election.
[Joan Crabb]
|
