HomeMy WebLinkAbout20081117 - VI-12
MEMO
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Charlene A. Stark, Finance Director
RE: UB Penalty waiver
DATE: November 5, 2008
V I-12
Attached is a lefter from Laurie Knutson, a utility billing customer who wishes to have her
penalty waived but objects to having to be put on the ACH direct withdrawal plan for six
months. She is adamant that she came into the office and paid her water bill. The
system shows a receipt orb 8f21 and a time stamp of 9:45. Based upon how the front
counter staff operates I would make the case the payment was made by mail or dropped
off in the outside maitbox after closing on the 24`h and the city received it on 8f21 and
processed it on 8f21. City staff understands and makes every effort'to receipt payments
received every day on the day received. There is no way of proving. this and it comes
down to -her word over city procedures:.
A review of her two year payment .history showed a .good paymerft history with the
exception of In February of 2Q47. Laurie incurred the 14% penalty for thaf quarterly
utility bill.
Based upon the citys current.-policy a one time waiver of interest can be obtained by
going on the ACH direct withdrawal plan. We offered this to her and she has declined
If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Recommended Council Action:
City staffs recommend waiver of the penalty only if the customer decides to abide by
current policy which states penalty may be waived as long as the customer signs up for
ACH direct withdrawal for six months. If this criterion is not met then I recommend
denial of the waiver of penalty.
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November 3, 2008
City of Hastings
Attn: Kim
101 4th Street E
Hastings, MN 55033
RE: Utility Bill -October 31, 2008
Acct: OS-094000-01
I am sending this letter regarding the July 31, 2008 utility bill and to state that I was
wrongly charged $9.15 for a late penalty, when actually I was not late in dropping off my
check with the billing.
I always drop off my bill on the 20th of the month it is due. I get paid on the 20th of the
month and I do all my banking and pay the Utility bill on the 20th. It is standard
procedure forme, always. For some reason, this billing was not processed by the City of
Hastings until the 21St of that month, the following day.
I am asking that this $9.15 penalty be removed. As I have no doubt that I dropped my
payment on the 20th of August. It is the principal of that matter that is driving me to
make sure this penalty is removed.
My check was dated August 20, 2008 and I dropped it off at the front desk on the
afternoon of August 20, 2008. I don't know why it wasn't entered on August 20th
I would appreciate this matter to be addressed, and the penalty that was wrongly charged
be corrected and reversed.
This is something I feel very strongly about, because it is my policy to always pay when
due. And if you check our past records you will see that.
Thank you,
~aune Knutson
Steve Chandler
906 14th St W
Hastings
651-437-1886
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