Council votes to correct billing errors after increases were not passed along to customers
Residents of Century will begin paying $26.59 monthly with $5.92 per additional can for their garbage service after the Century Town Council Tuesday night approved a resolution setting the garbage rate across the board. The new rate will take effect immediately.
The current rate is supposed to be $25.34 for one can with $5.64 for each additional can, but incorrect or numerous codes existing in the town’s billing system have caused residents to pay different amounts. The new increase would add $1.25, making the rate for service $26.59 and 28 cents to each additional can making it $5.92.
Town Clerk Leslie Howington told the council the town raised the rates each December according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), set forth in the town’s contract with Republic Services, the town’s garbage service provider.
If the CPI increases, the rates increase by that percentage. If the CPI decreases, there is no change in the cost of service. This year’s CPI increase is 4.93 percent. Howington said when she went to input the new rate into the town’s billing system, there were several different codes (rates), which meant residents were paying different amounts for the same service.
“What I do plan to do is retire all the rates,” said Howington. “I plan to create just the one and make sure every resident who has garbage has that code for the correct rate.”
Howington explained that the last three years including November 2021, the council passed a resolution setting the garbage rate in accordance with the CPI, but it was never entered into the computer. Howington then asked the council if they wanted to put in place a way to ease the sudden increase to its residents who have paid a lower amount, according to their incorrect bill.
Council members discussed possible hardships the increase may cause for Century residents who have been under paying according to their bill. Howington reminded them the town has a payment plan of 50 percent down, plus six payments to be paid with the monthly bills is in place for anyone who cannot pay their bill.
In a motion made by Interim Councilwoman Alicia Johnson which was seconded by Interim Councilwoman Shelisa McCall Abraham, the motion carried.
Proclamation
Mayor Benjamin Boutwell presented a proclamation honoring long-time resident and matriarch Leola Robinson, who turned 100 years of age on Feb. 10, 2023.
Gas bills
Several residents at the meeting spoke about the increase in their gas bills
Howington explained that in the past everyone was being undercharged in the past for natural gas because even though a resolution increasing the bills in small amounts was passed, that increase was never put into the computer to reflect the increase.
“Everyone was under billed,” said Howington. “Now we are billing appropriately. It may look like more, but after yearly comparisons, it’s pretty close, depending on usage.”
Howington explained she has been working with the software company and when they made one change, it effected other things and the one gas item on the bill became three items, two with the same name, which looks like it is charging twice for the same thing, but it is not. Howington tried to break the charges on the bill down as it is itemized.
“Instead of giving a gas total, it reads ‘gas’, ‘gas tax’ and then ‘gas’,” said Howington. “It’s the product (natural gas) that’s going through the meter, the gas tax (which BP Energy charges the town for that much gas), then there is a gas tax on that, and then the town’s income for the town to maintain the infrastructure, is based on a $10 base fee and the tier structure that is in the resolution.”
Howington said people were being charged pennies on the therm less, so it is just a bit more but it will help the town maintain it’s infrastructure. She reiterated that there is no retro charge. She reminded residents that their bills have been lower than they should have been in the past and that citizens did not pay what they should have, to their benefit.
Howington said she spoke with Florida Gas Utilities who told her the tier system Century uses for the gas charges are an out-of-date tier system and is no longer used in the industry.
“We are fixing the problems as they come,” said Howington. “We are looking at the usage. We are comparing this month and last month and this to last year.”
Howington said she has worked with no less than 60 people who have come to town hall to explain what the charges on their bill are. She said the town has lost a lot of money because of human error, to the detriment of the town’s gas department.
In other business, the council:
-Approved the transfer of $32,083 from Local Option Sales Tax funds into the gas fund to pay an automatic draft on a USDA Rural Development 2009 loan in the amount of $698,500 with a current balance of $346,766.63
-Agreed to give a check for $61,925 to the Urban Development Center as preliminary funds for YouthFirst Century, a computer programming program for area youths ages 11-18 with a launch date of Saturday, March 25 and a start date of Monday, March 27, at the Century Agriculture Building on Highway 4, as approved in a past council meeting.
