COPPERAS COVE, Texas — The City of Copperas Cove has worked to bring water billing services back in-house after the outsourced company Fathom abruptly told the city they were going out of business in November.
Due to the transition from Fathom, customer account numbers will be changed and customers could receive multiple bills in the same month, though the bills would be for different cycles.
6 News spoke with Copperas Cove City Manager Ryan Haverlah to answer customer questions today:
When will I get my bill?
Haverlah said Cove has mailed out bill cycles one-four and still needs to mail out cycles five-seven. He anticipates customers will get cycle four bills this week if they don't have them already and cycle five-seven by the end of next week.
I didn't get my bill. What went wrong?
Haverlah said the main reason a customer would not get a bill would be they are a new customer or a customer that joined the city after December 17. If the new customer was connected during the transition to handling bills in-house, they may still need to set up their account.
"For some reason, their account was not entered. They should come down to our utility administration office and notify staff so we can enter their bill," Haverlah said.
Why can't I look at my account online?
Copperas Cove is in the process of transitioning 14,000 accounts to its online portal with new account numbers. Haverlah said the updates should be complete within a month. He said customers could still pay an estimated amount towards their bill online at this time, but would not be able to see the new bills online at this time.
What will happen to my service or account if I don't get my bill by the normal due date?
Haverlah said the city knows they are sending bills out late and therefore will not be charging any customers late fees in this billing cycle or the next one.
"Customers will not be charged late fees and penalties until May of this year," Haverlah said.
Changes
The city stated in a Sunday press release they are issuing new account numbers for all customer accounts and those numbers will appear on the new bills. The city said “Billing Cycles 1–4” has been prepared and sent out, but “Cycles 5–7” have been delayed until next week at the earliest.
The city further stated it was possible for customers in "cycle 1” to receive multiple bills in March, even though the bills would be for separate billing periods. The release acknowledges paying multiple bills in the same month could be difficult and offered the following solution:
“We understand the hardship this could cause for some, so customers have the ability to request and establish a payment arrangement by speaking with a Customer Service Representative (CSR) in the Utilities Administration Office once your bill(s) arrives.” The City of Copperas Cove.
The city stated no duplicate bills have been sent out so far. The city also stated the senior citizen discount some citizens previously enjoyed should still be in effect but the discount will now be removed from each eligible line item in the bill and not the bill’s total. If the discount appears to no longer be in effect, seniors can re-enroll at the Utilities Administration Office.
Payments
The City of Copperas Cove had previously encouraged citizens to make payments towards their accounts for the last few months even though a bill was not available. The city had asked residents to keep copies of payment receipts in the event that “account reconciliations are needed.” Customers who chose to wait for a new bill before making payments will not be held delinquent but will need to pay the full amount due for services received over the last few months.
The press release stated all future mailed payments must be sent to the City of Copperas Cove and not FATHOM. The mailing address is City of Copperas Cove, P.O. Drawer 1419, Copperas Cove, Texas 76522.
Customers should ensure any online banking information (in bill pay services) is updated to reflect their current address. The release stated account information may not be accurate until the customer portal is updated with new account numbers.
The new only online customer portal, WaterSmart, is available at this link.
The city said it sent out a letter and Frequently Asked Questions sheet to all customers in that Sunday release titled “Update number 12.” The release said Copperas Cove will hold another town hall meeting on the transition Tuesday evening:
“Another Utilities Administration Town Hall Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 630pm at the Copperas Cove Civic Center, located at 1206 W Avenue B. City Manager Ryan Haverlah will provide a brief presentation and update on the transition, which will include a review of utility changes, payment options, and ample time for a public Q&A session.” The City of Copperas Cove.
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