RUSS ready to take action on delinquent accounts

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

Delinquent customers get ready because the Regional Utility Service Systems (RUSS) will be mailing out small claims letters for those with payments 60 days past due.

Executive Director Bruce Hudson said during the regularly scheduled RUSS meeting on Wednesday that he and the policy committee have been working on the implementation a policy to deal with customers who are habitually late.

Hudson said coming up with the policy has been more difficult than they originally believed due to each county having different policies for going through small claims court. Hudson added the final policy would follow the small claims court proceedings for the strictest county.

Director Lee Dimmitt, of Jefferson County, added the notices would be delivered to customers by county sheriffs rather than through certified mail.

The letters will be sent out prior to July 1, and state that if customers are more than 60 days delinquent on their payment, they can and will be subject to small claims court.

?The biggest challenge is we have a current 28E agreement in place with all of our communities where we have sewer systems,? said Hudson.

Hudson explained that the 28E agreement states the communities will indemnify or cover those customers who are past due within 30 days of receipt of the invoice.

?My thought process is, how do we keep enforcing the 28E agreement and indemnification clause and do our small claims court proceedings?? said Hudson. ?We don?t want to get rid of the 28E agreement because it?s our contract, but we need to circumvent timeframes.?

Hudson said the policy committee thought if they went ahead and sent out letters to those who are outstanding, they could work with the counties to keep the 28E agreement in place and still take the burden of those delinquent customers from the shoulders of the communities.

?As it goes further down the road, maybe we can talk and work with those communities who pay the indemnification and say don?t pay anything until we submit an invoice,? he said. ?If we?re going through small claims court with an individual, we won?t submit an invoice with that city or county for that individual.?

Hudson said the reason RUSS wanted to take the small claims route was to help remove a burden from cities and communities that had habitual delinquent accounts.

During his executive director update, Hudson said once the amendment to the 28E agreement is approved, which would allow RUSS to operate utility systems outside of the seven member counties; he is looking to take over about 317 customers from the Rural Water Association. Hudson said he would not name the counties until a deal has been hammered out, hopefully by this fall. Hudson added he has received the blessing of the USDA to take over the waste water systems.

The 28E amendment has been given to the board of supervisors for each county to be voted upon. The board approved allowing the chair, Deke Wood, sign the agreement once each county has done so.

In other business, the board:

? Approved hiring Midwest Assistance Program (MAP) to do a MHI study for Mooar/Powdertown.

? Approved $115,457.17 payment for Ollie waste water project.

? Approved change order for Division 3 for Ollie waste water project, a $28,050 decrease.