Utilities committee considers water bill adjustment

The utilities committee of the Hillsboro City Council met Thursday and discussed a request for an adjustment to a resident's water bill, which now totals more than $1,700.

Committee chairperson Dave Shoemaker said that Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt has already adjusted the residential bill twice because of multiple leaks that have occurred in the home. However, the usage rates continue to fluctuate, and it appears that the leaks may not have all been repaired. Shoemaker said the usage numbers fluctuate from three digits into the four-digit range. 

To protect the privacy of the resident, the name and address were not give to the committee members. Shoemaker did say that the primary income for the home was from disability services. 

Committee member Brian Waller, upon looking over the 2011 bill history, said that it shows an effort has been made to pay the bill. The payment history shows that payments were made every month, and sometimes twice a month, but the balance was so large that they can't get it paid off. 

Committee member Bonnie Parr said that the balance was "heart-attack high. Something is terribly, terribly wrong." 

Waller said that with the amount of water that was going into the home, they would have to notice the water was going someplace, or else "they should be having rotting floorboards by now." 

Shoemaker said that the volume of water wouldn't be caused by a dripping faucet either. 

Waller suggested that the city water department visit the property to make certain that there was no fault in the lines that are the city's responsibility, and then take a look at the meter. If it is determined that there is a leak that is the homeowner's responsibility, Waller said they should get it fixed before the city considers another adjustment to the bill. 

"I do have a heart, I really do," Waller said. "I also know that I've got two incomes in my house and it can still be hard to pay bills."

However, Waller said, the problem has to be fixed at the source or else the situation will continue. 

Shoemaker and Parr agreed with Waller, and Shoemaker said that he would give the committee's recommendation to Holt. 

Shoemaker stated that the committee previously would have to meet with Holt to discuss every request for a bill adjustment, but last year they gave Holt the authority to handle matters as he saw fit, and to seek the committee's input on some questionable requests.