The Henry County Public Service Authority (PSA) met on March 18 to discuss changes to the reconnection fees for the county’s water. Previously, the fee could change depending on a variety of factors. The goal was to create a single set fee for reconnection that was more streamlined for the new system, staff, and customers. The new fee will be a flat rate of $50, regardless of reconnection history. This change is expected to roll out later in the year with PSA’s update to their online billing system in May or June.
Previously, the reconnection fee could range between $20 to $50, depending on how many times the customer had to reconnect and their payment history over the past twelve months. If customers wanted to reconnect their water on the same day the penalty fee was paid, they would need to spend an additional $50 to have a maintenance worker turn the water back on at their home. This new $50 fee will include same-day water turn-on services, eliminating the need to pay two costly fees. The board acknowledged that the reconnection cost could be higher for some customers if they had a penalty fee lower than $50. These changes to the reconnection fee structure will go live simultaneously with the utility billing software update.
The update will allow PSA customers to check and pay their bills online. The flat rate will make reconnecting through the online process easier, with only one set amount. A flat-rate fee will put Henry County on par with other localities that already have a flat-rate fee in place. No impact on PSA’s revenue is expected from the change.
Reports from finance, construction, engineering, safety and treatment, and regulatory compliance also were presented.
The PSA is positive in both revenue and expenses. It is currently eight months into the fiscal year, with promising sales. Water sales are at 66.4 percent, just .3 percent short of the 66.7 percent the service needs to break even. Waste Treatment sales are at 68.9 percent, putting the PSA ahead of budgets.
Water sales are currently a fraction above the previous year, and wastewater sales are 3.47 percent ahead of last year. The total revenue from wastewater is up $104,000, and water sales are up by $16,000.
The board also noted that due to the warm weather, fire hydrant painting would start early. This was followed by an announcement that PSA had received a grant of $250,000 to cover the cost of this process helping inventory the lead service line. This agency will be putting out bids for new projects and improvements in 2024, including Reservoir Road improvements.
The federally funded Philpott Reservoir relocation study has been signed. A signing ceremony that will be announced in the future will help ensure that the PSA has access to a large water reserve in case of an emergency. The PSA would cover the cost of the reserve, which will be paid off in semi-annual payments.
