Council reviews water-billing history for a city building; staff to obtain invoices and a program manager letter

Council members reviewed an outstanding billing issue for a building that was turned over to the city in July 2020 while the Birmingham Water account remained in the contractor Argo’s name until October 2020. City staff described discussions with Argo and said they have a letter from John Hanson (program manager) documenting the circumstances that led to the meter remaining in the contractor’s name for several months.

Staff said the immediate task is to request a revised invoice transferred from Argo into the city’s name and to gather supporting meter readings and invoices to show usage patterns. Councilors asked for comparisons of subsequent billing to determine whether the billed amounts were unusually high and requested that staff return with copies of the invoices and the Hanson letter for review before any payment decision.

Staff noted that Birmingham Water bills can vary significantly with meter reads and rate-tier changes, and that the outstanding sums under discussion cover the July–October 2020 period; no late fees were included in the calculation staff described. Council did not approve payment during the meeting; staff said they will bring a corrected invoice and documentation back to council for consideration.