Joint Board of Trustees and Planning Commission Work Session - 5:30PM - 4/08/2024 - Town Hall >> Details <<

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Direct Pay

Direct-Pay Program:

The Town offers all account holders the option to have utility bills drafted directly from an account of their choosing.  Prior to establishing a direct-payment the account holder must complete a direct-pay application, where they provide the banking information of their choice for the withdraw to occur from.  Direct-pay usually occurs withing 1 to 5 business days following the due date.  The payment will bever draw from a bank account prior to the due date.  Direct-pay customers will still receive a utility bill each month.  The town does not set up auto pay on a credit card, only through a checking or savings account.  The only way a credit card can be used for a one-time payment is if the account holder provides te card in the office or submits a one-time payment online through Point n Pay, which we have no ability to modify or reverse.

Should you sign up for Direct-Pay and pay your bill in another way in advance, the Direct-Pay withdraw will not occur.  If you are in Direct-Pay and pay in another way after the direct-pay file has been submitted to the Town’s banking institution, we have no way to stop the double payment.  The Town policy on an open utility account is to carry any credit on the account forward to offset the next bill cycle.  This is a stand practice for most utilities, including electric, gas, telephone, internet, and television services.

Utility account history:

ANY account holder can request a copy of their utility account history which will immediately be provided.  The history preserved in the accounting system can go back up to 5 years.

The Town read three types of meter.

  1. Master meters - these are water company meters read each month between the 15th and 20th.
  2. Radio read meters – these meters are read via computer and are read each month between the 15th and 18th.
  3. Manual read meters – these are older meters on the system that must be manually read.  Curing winter months – usual November through April – these meters are not read and are on an “estimation read” which reconciles in either a credit ir over-paid or a larger amount due if under paid for the estimated period.  The meter software is set to bill for the same amount of water of the last actual reading entered.  Example: October reading billed for 4,000 gallons.  The November – April cycle will bill 4,000 gallons each month until reconciled.  The utility bill will not reflect new readings because there has not been one.  To date the Town has replaced the majority of the old meters.  There are approximately 170 manual meters left on the Town direct-bill system.

Receipt of utility bills:

Utility bills are sent via a 3rd party company – Mail Services, LLC – located in Iowa.  We have no control over the postal service and delivery.  We encourage everyone who states they did not receive their bill to call and we will give them a printout or the balance due.  Bills are always due the 15th of each month, or, if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday the bill is due the next business day.