Port Huron Times Herald
Residents facing difficulty in paying their water and sewer bills amid the coronavirus pandemic still have a month before the state’s shutoff moratorium ends, but whether they’ll face a financial penalty for nonpayment depends on where they live.
In the last month, Marine City officials agreed to once again extend a measure waiving late fees until May. A utility bill deferment was first OK’d by the City Commission in May 2020 and extended twice before first to November and then February of this year.
According to the city, 116 water and sewer accounts were delinquent over $53,000 at the start of 2021. Marine City Treasurer Megan Pearce told commissioners this month that the city could withstand the economic impact of delaying penalties for nonpayment but asked officials support a return to shutoffs once allowed when a state-ordered ban ends March 31.
The Algonac City Council approved the purchase of new water plant chemical pumps, as well as a couple of other agenda items at its virtual Dec. 15 meeting.
âThe water plant needs three new pumps: chlorine feed, chlorine transfer and fluorine feed,â Mayor Terry Stoneburner said. âThere are no existing backup pumps and these pumps are critical to the water treatment process. The three existing pumps would become backup pumps.â
The lowest quote received for the pumps was for $2,950.96 from USABlueBook, water department Superintendent Andrew Messina wrote in the councilâs agenda.
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âI know weâve talked about this at several of our meetings, that we would like to have backups,â Stoneburner said. âI know (council member Corey Blair) has talked about it, (Mayor Pro Tem Michael Bembas) â in fact, I think everybody has talked about it at some point. This is exactly what weâve asked for so we have backups and weâre