Late fees on utility bills expected to be waived

Village of Grafton residents having trouble paying their utility bill due to the coronavirus pandemic will likely be granted an extension until this spring.

The Public Works Committee on Monday, Jan. 11, unanimously recommended that the Village Board waive penalties for late fees until April 15.

The waiver aligns with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin’s recent order that authorizes public utilities to waive late fees and temporarily suspend disconnections.

The PSC order also states that deferred payment agreements should be made available to commercial, farm and industrial customers and that utilities should streamline the process for customers to apply for service.

The Village Board last year agreed to waive penalties from March through December.

“Our utility staff has worked closely with residents if they are unable to pay their bills to come up with options,” Director of Public Works Amber Thomas said.

“Due to the coronavirus, many residents have either been laid off or have completely lost their jobs.”

Thomas said residential utility usage has been higher because many residents are staying at home. She said the current amount of late fees owed to the village is not available.

In 2019, however, 191 delinquent accounts were sent to the tax roll. That number was lowered to 152 in 2020 due to the village being more flexible on payment options and notifying customers ahead of the tax roll date so that they were able to pay without penalty.

The Village Board is expected to approve the waiver at its next meeting on Monday, Jan. 18.