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Agenda Item: 8(d) |
Prepared By: Jeffrey E. Poteet, General Manager, Water & Sewer |
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Business: Consent Agenda Item |
Department: Water & Sewer |
Subject:
Title
Approval of a Water and Sewer Billing Refund - Shipp’s Landing Condominium in the amount of $81,733.19 - Jeffrey E. Poteet, General Manager, Water & Sewer Department.
Body
BACKGROUND:
During a review of utility billing data, City staff identified a billing error affecting Shipp’s Landing Condominium utility account 05672. The error occurred during the City’s conversion from its legacy utility billing system to Munis in 2019. Both water and wastewater usage charges were initially calculated incorrectly. Although the water billing was corrected in 2021, the wastewater billing error remained.
Staff reviewed and recalculated the account beginning with the August 30, 2019 billing cycle. The review determined that Shipp’s Landing had been overcharged by $89,649.63. The calculation was reviewed by the Finance and Water and Sewer Departments, and a corresponding credit was applied to the account. The billing configuration has since been corrected to ensure future charges are calculated properly.
Since the credit was applied, subsequent monthly utility charges have reduced the remaining credit balance. As of August 28, 2026, the account had a credit balance of $81,733.19, prior to the issuance of the August bill.
The Shipp’s Landing Board of Directors has requested that the remaining credit be refunded by check rather than carried forward and applied to future utility bills. Because of the size of the credit and the length of time it would take to use the balance, staff recommends refunding the remaining credit balance on account 05672, as verified by the Finance Department at the time the refund is processed.
FUNDING SOURCE / FISCAL IMPACT:
Funds for the refund will be paid from the Water and Sewer Fund. The associated reduction in water and sewer revenue was recognized when the customer credit was applied to the utility billing account. Therefore, issuance of the refund will relieve the customer's Accounts Receivable credit balance and reduce cash but will not result in an additional reduction to current-year operating revenues. Our Finance Department will ensure the refund is recorded in accordance with applicable governmental accounting standards.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council ratify the utility billing adjustment for Shipp’s Landing Condominium, authorize a refund in the amount of $81,733.19 for utility charges that were overbilled as a result of an administrative account configuration error, and authorize the City Manager to execute any documents necessary to process the refund.
POTENTIAL MOTION:
“I move to ratify the utility billing adjustment for Shipp’s Landing Condominium, authorize a refund in the amount of $81,733.19 resulting from an administrative utility account configuration error, and authorize the City Manager to take all actions necessary to process the refund.”