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CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK
<br /> Committeemember Dr. Davis stated, Ok, so because everyone is different, if that site is basically
<br /> a seventy-five-dollar($75) site or a fifty-dollar ($50) site then it's one hundred dollars ($100), or
<br /> one hundred and fifty dollars ($150)?
<br /> Ms. Thompson replied, Right. Only up to seventy dollars ($70) would be collected. The choice is
<br /> then to pay the rest in eight(8) weeks of installments. But, yes, it would depend on the meter size
<br /> at that particular site,so it could be somewhere between seventy to one hundred and twenty dollars
<br /> ($70 - $120).
<br /> Committeemember Dr. Davis then asked, And the deposit is only based on the water part, and not
<br /> the trash part?
<br /> Ms. Thompson replied, It is the entire utility payment.
<br /> Mr. Horvath stated, It's not on somebody's credit rating from one(1) of the financial TransUnions
<br /> or something like that.
<br /> Committeemember Dr. Davis interjected, But it's based on their ability to pay their NIP SCO bill?
<br /> Mr. Horvath replied, No,just the water and sewer bill.
<br /> Ms. Thompson stated,That is what we look at,if someone has not been a customer,they can bring
<br /> something showing they have payment history with another utility,but,if they've been a customer
<br /> here, we would look at that history.
<br /> Committeemember Dr. Davis followed up, So, if they are brand new?
<br /> Ms. Thompson replied, They can demonstrate their credit history at a different utility.
<br /> Committeemember Dr. Davis stated, I'm at peace. Thank you.
<br /> Committeemember Regina Williams-Preston stated, You're getting a new billing software which
<br /> sounds awesome. I had lots of concerns from constituents about when they get their water turned
<br /> off, and maybe it's off for a couple months, then they go back to turn it back on, they have to pay
<br /> the entire amount of the time when it was off. Can you clarify that for me? They were not getting
<br /> water but then they have to pay for water they didn't get.
<br /> Ms. Thompson replied, It is hard to speculate without having a particular situation in front of us.
<br /> So, it is true that if someone is disconnected for non-payment, when they come to reestablish
<br /> service, typically that's the next or even same day, they have to pay their entire pay due balance.
<br /> From the time we disconnect service,they are about two (2)months behind. If you pay before you
<br /> disconnect,then you just pay what you owe by that date. If you pay afterward,you pay your entire
<br /> past due balance. Now, typically if someone was disconnected and they did not establish service
<br /> within thirty (30) days, we would terminate their account and all charges would stop. The only
<br /> time, and it's hard to answer without a specific pay stub, that a customer would continue being
<br /> charged is if, perhaps, they turn their own water back on. If that happens, and there is significant
<br /> usage and we find there has been theft, it could go on for a couple of months. We shouldn't have
<br /> cases where people are being billed for months of service they didn't receive, and we are happy to
<br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT
<br /> 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov
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