Ark Valley News - Park City looking at ‘green’ options

Park City looking at ‘green’ options
By Taylor Messick
Last Updated: December 29, 2016

On Dec. 27, the Park City council discussed options for saving the city money by eliminating the practice of sending paper notices to customers with delinquent utility accounts.

City officials say the city's e-billing initiative has been successful and they will now look to move further away from costs incurred by printed and mailed statements.

The city currently sends postcards around the 20th of each month to notify customers of unpaid utility bills. This year, the city sent around 580 paper delinquent notices each month. The total cost for the year — including paper, ink, postage and staff time — totaled about $6,000.

City staff now plans to meet with a telecommunications company called inCode about an automated calling system to notify delinquent customers. The company would charge the city 9 cents per call, which comes to a cost of roughly $1,200 per year at the current rate of 580 notices per month.

There would be a necessary implementation period should the city agree to the service. Staff members say many customers have not recently updated their contact information with the city; there was talk of an incentive program to encourage customers to update their phone number and address. Lawrence has recently adopted the same service and offered a gift-card drawing for customers who updated their information with the city.

City council members showed initial interest in the program due to its money saving potential. Some council members had questions about what happens if the customer is unable to be reached via the phone call. Voicemails can be left by inCode and duplicate calls can be made to customers at an additional charge. Other council members wondered whether text message options might also be available. More details will surface after the city meets with inCode.

In other business, the council:

•Appointed Terry Beall to the position of Municipal Court Judge by a unanimous vote.

•Purchased additional trees to be planted in the parks at a cost of $2400 by a unanimous vote.

•Extended the Homebuyer's Incentive Program by a unanimous vote. Additional benefits were extended for duplexes.

•Refused ownership/responsibility of the waterline between Hydraulic and Hillside along 45th Street that will soon be abandoned by Bel Aire by a vote of 6-1.

Council member Melvin Kerr was absent. There was no executive session.