A Columbia water customer recently called in with a sewer problem, but there was a bigger issue: The account did not exist.
The Board of Aldermen took action Tuesday to try and cut down on such problems with people getting water service but not being billed.
Software, which dated to 1998, will also be upgraded at a cost of about $6,000, and the board voted to make completing several reports that are related to checking the water system mandatory and to lock meters when they are disconnected.
“We’re paying for water we’re not being paid for,” Ward 1 Alderman Wendell Hammond said.
“When you find out about a problem, you need to start to correct the problem,” Ward 4 Alderwoman Anna Evans replied. “We’ve got some fixing up to do. If we’re going to go get the software and these people are trained on the new software and reports that are due on a monthly basis, weekly basis or whatever will be done. They will be trained that these are the reports that will be required. To me, a check sheet should be attached to every account and initialed. They need to go by the process step-by-step.”
City Clerk Donna McKenzie spoke about the need for the updated software as the Board discussed procedures, saying the new software has more functions.
“Michael (McDaniel, water supervisor) wants to get this updated,” she said. “It will be less than $6,000 for that one portion of our software. We could move the information over to a laptop and they can take it out into the field and look at the information to see what’s going on.”
She said the software could be set up to give McDaniel access to view the information.
“If he doesn’t get the meter information, he doesn’t know what meter he is working on,” she said. “The current software is just outdated. We have no upgrades on it.”
Mayor Justin McKenzie said that giving access to view the software to the water department would work, but giving them the ability to change it would not be in the best interest of the city.
“It would be the same as any other contractor. The clerks at City Hall are employed by the city; they should have access and the ability,” he said. “I think it should be view only.”
Mayor McKenzie said software issues have caused problems with billing and that adding the software could streamline the process and ensure more accurate accounting.
“Every meter has a number,” he said. “As long as that computer talks to that meter, it’s going to have a reading. Without it, it will show zero read and no usage. We have found some problems. It’s a clerical issued that has wreaked havoc on some billing.”
Hammond said meters also need to be locked to prevent problems. The discussions then led to proper procedures in the office and billing. Mayor McKenzie said current water employees now have a sheet to be checked off that they were trained in the proper usage. He said mistakes may have been made over the years in the system by people who no longer work for the city and haven’t in several years.
“Is there a written procedure on how to do everything?” Alderman-at-Large Edward Hough asked.
“There is a very clear procedure on that,” the mayor said.
Evans suggested putting a checklist in place to ensure the procedures are followed to avoid certain mistakes, and the Board then drafted a motion regarding the reporting and locking of meters to help alleviate billing mistakes.
“All reports must be run monthly and meters are to be locked on disconnect,” Evans said.
Included in the items are error reports, menu reports, zero usage reports billing, status reports, usage reports and others. The mayor said the procedures would list “all applicable reports.”
“This needs to be done to prevent this from happening in the future,” Evans said as she made the motion.
