Marion aldermen on Tuesday made further progress on drafting a policy concerning adjustments to customers’ water bills and opted to change the companies offering employee benefits to save additional funds.

 

The town has long had a verbal policy allowing one water bill adjustment per year per customer, but efforts to create a policy governing water adjustments comes after the Board of Aldermen began reviewing each adjustment request and raised questions about how far back an adjustment should be made, what responsibility the customer has to make timely repairs and whether landlords or tenants should bear the burden of leaks at rental properties.

 

By implementing a written policy, aldermen look to make sure both residents and town staff understand their responsibilities and ensure all customers are treated fairly.

 

Ameder Ward, a government consultant who has been helping the board draft its policy, said the current draft states late charges will still apply and provides an avenue for customers owing $500 or more to come before the Board of Aldermen to work out a payment plan. There was not enough time before Tuesday’s meeting to get figures from the water department, she said, but that $500 is likely high and will need to be adjusted down.

 

“If you want it to be at that number instead of the $500, we can easily make that change,” she said.

 

Mayor Larry Gill said he supports putting the value at $250, which is more in line with what the town’s water customers owe.

 

Town Attorney Dustin Markham said he also recommends the board put something in the policy limiting the number of payment plans a customer can receive in a period of time, such as allowing one payment plan per year. That will cut down on people constantly coming before the board to roll payment plans over to avoid paying the debt.

 

Employee Benefits

 

In other business Tuesday, the Board of Aldermen voted to consolidate benefits for town employees under one company, which is expected to save a significant amount. Marion employees currently receive life, health, dental and vision insurance.

 

Town Clerk Wanda Bouldin said the town currently has life, health and dental through one provider and vision insurance through another. According to the town’s insurance representative, she said, moving all four policies to Principal insurance will end up costing 16% less.

 

“A 16% decrease is a lot,” Alderman Norman Coleman said.

 

Employees will continue to receive the same benefits, Bouldin said.