CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: April 3, 2020
Agenda Date: April 22, 2020
Prepared By: Jessica Dovale, Utility Support Service Manager
Through: Rebecca Bowman, Finance Director
Requested Action:
title
To Approve a Resolution amending and updating the Utility Handbook with a supplement policy for temporary changes in existing policy related to the COVID-19 response.
body
BACKGROUND:
The Utilities Handbook is updated periodically, through City Council adoption, to reflect current practices, update rates, or to further clarify policies and procedures. The handbook and its exhibits are an extremely useful tool used to govern the relationship between the City and its utility customers. On many occasions the policies within the handbook have been cited enabling customer disputes to be settled with a fair and consistent approach that are applicable to all customers in the same manner.
Attached to this agenda is a copy of a proposed policy Utility Handbook COVID-19 Response #1002.0 to the Utility Handbook that outlines temporary changes in policy during the City of Cocoa's response to COVID-19.
The policy changes proposed in Utility Handbook COVID-19 Response #1002.0 are:
* Walk-in customers: Effective March 23, 2020, the lobby of City Hall will be closed to the public for the duration of the COVID-19 response. Requests for utility service can be made by phone, fax, e-mail, USPS mail, or by dropbox on the west side of the building.
* Payments: Effective March 23, 2020, cash payments will temporarily be accepted through the dropbox on the south side of the City Hall building. All other payment channels such as mail, online, IVR, over the phone, or through the dropbox will continue to operate as normal.
* Payment Plans: Effective Monday, April 20, 2020 outbound calls will be made to all delinquent accounts to educate and offer a payment extension or a payment plan that is customizable to the customer's needs. There will be a payment plan messa...
Click here for full text