Label
Council Members Gadus and Komives
Title
Placing a moratorium on the application of late fees and charges of interest on water customer accounts until the AMR-AMI Meter Reading and Leak Detection System Project is installed in its entirety and fully operational; and declaring an emergency.
Body
SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
As authorized by Ordinances 339-18, 291-19, 232-20 and 364.20, the Department of Public Utilities (“DPU”) is implementing an Automatic Meter Reading (“AMR”) and Advanced Meter Infrastructure (“AMI”) and Leak Detection System Project (“Project”). The Project will improve the water distribution system’s infrastructure, reduce lost revenue due to leakage or meter inefficiency, reduce operating costs, provide real-time utility consumption and cost data, improve customer service, and reduce costs and response time for resolving customer issues due to improved system information. The implementation of AMR-AMI Project involves the replacement or both large and small meters for both residential and commercial/industrial customers.
This ordinance establishes that no late fees nor charges of interest will be applied to customer accounts until the AMR-AMI Meter Reading and Leak Detection System Project is installed in its entirety and fully operational and accurate readings can be assured.
Summary
NOW, THEREFORE, Be it ordained by the Council of the City of Toledo:
SECTION 1. That Toledo City Council hereby orders the Department of Public Utilities to cease the application of late fees and charges of interest to water customer accounts until the AMR-AMI Meter Reading and Leak Detection System Project is installed in its entirety and fully operational.
SECTION 2. That it is found and determined that all formal actions of Council concerning and relating to the passage of this Ordinance were adopted in an open meeting of Council and that all deliberations of Council and any of its committees that result in such formal action were in meetings open to the public in compliance with all legal requirements, including Section 121.22, Ohio Revised Code.
SECTION 3. That this Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall be in force and effect from and after its passage. The reason for the emergency lies in the fact that the same is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, and property and for the further reason that this Ordinance must be immediately effective in order to assure that water remains affordable during the pendency of the meter system upgrade until accurate readings can be assured.
Vote on emergency clause: yeas 12, nays 0.
Passed: August 17, 2021, as an emergency measure: yeas 12, nays 0.
Attest:
Gerald E. Dendinger Matt Cherry
Clerk of Council President of Council
Approved: August 17, 2021
Wade Kapszukiewicz
Mayor