Subject:
Title
Sunset Review: BCC-38 Delinquent Utility Accounts
End
Fiscal Impact:
None
Dept/Office:
Utility Services
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners retain BCC-38 with modifications, Utilities Delinquent Accounts
End
Summary Explanation and Background:
BCC-31, Sunset Review of Programs, Services, Ordinances, Policies and Administrative Orders, requires that Policies are to be reviewed every three years to determine relevance, appropriate assignment, duplicitousness and to maintain current statutory law updates.
BCC-38, Utilities Delinquent Accounts, describes the process for customer notification and collection of delinquent water and sewer utility bills in the North Brevard, Barefoot Bay and San Sebastian Service Areas. The cities of Cocoa and Melbourne collect County utility payments within their respective service areas and maintain their own procedures for delinquent accounts.
BCC-38 provides that each delinquent account receives separate and individual notice of the delinquency, the contact information of the customer service representative authorized to consider customer complaints and resolve billing errors and the office hours when the representative is available. The policy is modified to include the current process for the collection of delinquent accounts, which includes offering customers a payment extension and installment plans. Accounts not paid in accordance with the procedures identified in the policy will be sent to the County’s collection agency and the property will have a lien placed against it in accordance with Florida Statute if staff’s attempts at collection are unsuccessful.
The Policy has been reviewed by both Utility Services Staff and the County Attorney’s Office.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
Send original and Clerk Memo to Utility Services Dept, Attn: Rose Lyons