Fight over water

DUNKIRK — It’s a perennial problem.
A tenant moves out, leaving the landlord with a utility bill.
Or — worse yet — in the transition between one tenant and another, the wires get crossed at city hall.
Dunkirk City Council members heard complaints Monday from local landlord Don Blanchard, who has been hit with more than $1,500 in water and sewage bills — some of them dating back six years.
In one instance, the water meter at one Blanchard property wasn’t read for three years. When the new administration came in at the beginning of this year, he received a water bill for $1,260.
What apparently happened was that a previous tenant was behind on the utility bill and water service was shut off. When the next tenants paid the past-due bill and had service restored, the meter reading went into limbo.
“We went almost three years with no water bill,” one of the tenants said. “We tried several times to get a bill,” with the previous administration, she added.
When current clerk-treasurer Phonnie Kesler caught the mistake, the catch-up bill gave the landlord a shock.
“It wasn’t read because this office didn’t know there was a meter there,” said Kesler. “There was no record of a meter there.”
Blanchard paid the bill, but he clearly wasn’t happy about it.
“The water was used,” said Mayor Dan Watson. “I don’t understand what else we could do.”
“The bill has been paid, so it’s a matter between the landlord and the tenant,” said city attorney Bill Hinkle.
Blanchard also said he’d received bills on other properties dating back to 2006.
The city’s position is that those bills can’t be written off and must be paid, Kesler explained.
“That’s unconstitutional,” said Blanchard.
The council agreed to give Blanchard 90 days to pay the remaining $305.24 in unpaid bills from his tenants dating back six years, and Kesler said steps have been taken to try to prevent such problems in the future.
“When we send a final bill out, we’re now sending a copy to the landlord,” she said.
In other business, the council:
•Learned the pre-construction meeting on the sewage system project is set for 2 p.m. on Nov. 26 at city hall.
•Set its next meeting for 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26. That’s the same day as Dunkirk’s Feel the Warmth of Christmas celebration from 5:30 to 7 p.m. City hall will be open during the celebration with refreshments for visitors. The council also approved a $100 donation for prizes for the event.
•Approved an ordinance redrawing city council districts from four districts to three.
•Learned that most of the Christmas decorations have been put up. Councilman Tom Johnson noted that the holiday lights in Dunkirk City Park won’t be illuminated at those times that it’s raining.
•Agreed to purchase a rheostat for the generator at the wastewater treatment plant from McCallister Power Systems for $510.30.
•Authorized paying Right Way Collision $3,297.71 for repairs to a 2002 Dodge truck used at the water plant.
•Learned that the Dunkirk Fire Station will be a drop-off point for the annual Toys for Tots campaign.
•Heard Kesler say that there have been ongoing software problems with the city’s computer system.[[In-content Ad]]