Making a budget — City approves pilot program for utility bills
The first 10 city utility customers to contact the Newcastle City Office and enroll will be given the opportunity to be part of a pilot payment program that will average water and sewer usage over the course of the year to establish one consistent monthly fee. The Newcastle City Council approved the pilot program on Dec. 16.
According to now-former Mayor Pam Gualtieri, the pilot period of six months will allow the city to see if the program will work on a larger scale. She explained to the council that garbage rates remain the same each month, so the program is an effort to mirror that by allowing water and sewer prices to be averaged over 12 months, based on past usage, to avoid fluctuation in payment.
“They will be paying the same amount every month,” she said.
Gualtieri noted that after six months, the council can review the program to see if it is working and decide at that time whether to expand the program.
“This is a pilot program to see how it works. Everyone is different. … They use different amounts of water,” she said.
At the end of the trial period, Gualteri said, each account will have to be analyzed to determine whether the customers overpaid, underpaid or paid the correct amount.
If they overpay, City Clerk-Treasurer Stacy Haggerty told the News Letter Journal, a credit will be issued to their account. If they underpaid, she said they will need to pay that balance.
If a customer underpays, Councilman Don Steveson stressed that the money owed to the city should be spread out over several months to avoid negatively impacting the customer.
According to Haggerty, there is no application to be a part of the pilot program. She noted it is open to the first 10 customers who contact the city office expressing interest.
City Beats
Notes from the Dec. 16 Newcastle City Council meeting
• The council approved First Northern Bank as a depository for public funds.
• The council approved electrical and plumbing licenses for 2025.
• The council moved to deposit a check from Weston County for $9,000. The check was for dispatch services before the creation of the joint powers board.
• The council approved the joint powers board agreement for the Weston County Travel Commission.
• The council approved an ordinance prohibiting the use of compression or jake brakes in Newcastle City limits. Greg Stumpff, public works supervisor, informed the council that it could take several months to have signage for the ordinance in place.
• Councilman Daren Downs expressed concerns raised by a constituent regarding snow not being removed all the way from the bike path near Newcastle Elementary School. Stumpff said the city crew would make an additional pass to remove the snow.