Software problems, city checks water bills by hand
By Don Harrold
Blair, Neb. News Editor
Missouri Valley has not mailed a water bill in two months because of problems with new city software, City Administrator Turri Colglazier said.
Colglazier was two desks deep in water bills during our interview Wednesday. "It's been awful," she said. "We are just having to spend so much time fixing problems."
The problems began when the new software interfered with meter readings. Colglazier said about 90% of meters were read before the system stopped reading properly. Some accounts continue to have issues.
Colglazier said the company that provides the handheld meter-reading equipment blamed the software company, while the software company blamed the handheld provider. "The city was caught in the middle," she said.
The bills are prepared. Staff check each account individually before it is mailed. "We're going through them one by one to make sure that it's correct," Colglazier said. "If it's correct, it'll get sent out. If it's not, then we fix it and write what we did and the total amount due."
While reviewing accounts, city staff found that estimated consumption figures on some May bills were incorrect. The city issued credits for water customers who were billed for usage they did not consume.
Colglazier said about 75% of the delayed bills have now been mailed.
The city has told customers they may make a payment before receiving a bill and carry it as a credit on their account. "I am trying to do everything that I can to get these water bills out so that people can pay them and it's not building up," she said. "But I just really wanna get them mailed out."
Colglazier said customers will not face penalties or shutoffs because of the billing delays.
She also said the city will work with residents experiencing financial hardship as a result of larger accumulated balances caused by the delayed billing.
Four staff members were working on the bills Wednesday, and Colglazier said she expected the review to be finished that day. She is on vacation next week; her deputy clerk will handle what comes in, and Colglazier said she will be available.
