City Hires Todd To Review Water Meters

The city of Bourbon has hired former public works director Monty Todd to review the electronic water meters and ensure they are being read accurately.

According to the city’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget message, water sales have been approximately $20,000 short each year since being introduced in 2017-18.

City Clerk Cathy Bremer said in the budget message that the city raised the anticipated revenue in 2019-20 an additional 20 cents per thousand gallons after a shortfall in 2018-19.

Bremer said there were no significant changes that year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of the 2020 fiscal year, the city could account for much of the revenue loss being from restaurants, certain businesses and schools being shut down.

However, the city is now having issues accounting for the loss in water sales.

Bourbon’s council raised the water rate an additional 20 cents per 1,000 gallons in August 2021 and it went into effect Sept. 1, 2021.

Bremer’s budget message says that Todd is reviewing reports to see if anything stands out regarding readings and usage.

Todd has found several issues unique to certain meters and Bremer said those have been placed on a “watch list” to ensure accuracy.

The city also is putting together a spreadsheet on what was billed versus what was collected and past due. It also includes adjustments made to invoices and either added or deducted from the original bills report.

Adjustments are made when penalties have to be removed because the customer paid at the bank of the 15th of the month or the customer mailed their payment and it was postmarked on the 15th.

In the city’s 2022-23 budget, which was passed June 30, the water budget was $285,760, down from $306,105 last year.