Vice-Mayor Dawnte Early questions why there is not a current system for paying city service bills online when discussing the $483,522 owed to West Sacramento by property owners who will now have liens placed on their properties.

 

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Some West Sacramento residents owe almost half a million dollars in unpaid city service charges.

Finance supervisor Angie Familia explained to West Sacramento City Council on July 17 that the city annually conducts a public hearing to place the delinquent water, sewer and refuse, garbage charges on the secured property tax roll.

“And at the same time, we ask to place liens on these delinquent properties,” Familia said, which are considered derelict after 60 days.

Customers in arrears are notified by mail.

“As of today, the utility service charges has reduced to $483,522,” Familia said. “This is less than seen in previous years due in part to the city applying for and receiving funds from the state’s Extended Water and Wastewater Arrearage Program in the amount of $1.1 million.”

Credits were applied to the customers who are past due during Covid periods of March 2020 to December 2022. With business back to usual, Familia said, the department is in the process of implementing online bill pay for utilities, hoping “that easier access to account information will reduce late payments in the future.”

Calling online payment “huge,” Mayor Martha Guerrero asked when residents can access, which will be in the fall according to the financial supervisor. Familia said the city is working on finding a vendor now. 

Guererro also wanted to know if there would be a mechanism allowing the bank to pay the bill directly.

“We have that method set up already,” Familia said. “With the new process, you can go online and set it up too.”

Autopay can be accessed through text or email that sends a payment notice to the user.

“That alert is really helpful,” Guererro said.

Vice-Mayor Dawnte Early wanted to know what “the barrier” is with paying online now.

Finance director Roberta Raper took the podium, explaining while she is unsure why it was not implemented prior to her hire, but the Information Technology (IT) department has it covered as of late.

“We are working with some issues with our current vendor so when Angie came on, we looked at getting a new vendor for our printing and mailing services and as part of that we solicited for an online bill payment platform,” Raper said. “We are finally able to move forward.”

Going forward, Guererro asked for more information on the upcoming Green Waste program and possible penalties involved “because this is a new process for many of our residents.” The mayor suggested partnering with Waste Management to supply the public with an informational video on the new process.

Raper said that the city’s Environmental Services Department is currently working with Waste Management, noting that Finance Department will “coordinate with them to carry along these comments.”

“I know there is a plan for already getting warnings out from Waste Management, a lot of communication, videos and things online but I don’t where that is in the process,” Raper said.

The mayor pointed out her concern for the elderly, who might not be in the normal communication channels and others. She also shared concern for those with disabilities, no internet services or language barriers.

Before adopting the nearly half a million dollars to go on the tax roll, Guererro said she would prefer in the future to see remedy options before “getting to this point.”

Raper said many of the properties, both commercial and residential, wait for the penalties to go on tax rolls, but if there is a way to communicate to get the bills down sooner, her department will work to do so.