City of Baltimore - File #: 15-0236R

• File #: 15-0236R
• Version: 0
• Name: No Residential Water Shut-Offs Until Delinquent Commercial Accounts are Addressed
• Type: City Council Resolution
• Status: Withdrawn
• File created: 6/8/2015
• In control: City Council
• Final action: 7/18/2016
• Title: No Residential Water Shut-Offs Until Delinquent Commercial Accounts are Addressed FOR the purpose of calling on the Department of Public Works to halt water shut-off efforts directed against residential accounts owing hundreds of dollars each until it has collected from, or shut-off water to, the commercial accounts that owe the City millions in unpaid water bills.
• Sponsors: Carl Stokes, Bill Henry, Sharon Green Middleton, Mary Pat Clarke, James B. Kraft, Helen L. Holton, William "Pete" Welch, Rochelle Spector, Brandon M. Scott, President Young, Nick Mosby, Eric T. Costello, Edward Reisinger, Robert Curran, Warren Branch
• Indexes: Accounts, Commercial, Delinquent, Residential, Water Shut-Offs

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
7/18/2016	0	City Council	Withdrawn
6/15/2015	0	Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee	Scheduled for a Public Hearing
6/11/2015	0	The City Council	Refer to Dept. of Finance
6/11/2015	0	The City Council	Refer to City Solicitor
6/11/2015	0	The City Council	Refer to Dept. of Public Works
6/11/2015	0	The City Council	Refer to Housing and Community Development
6/8/2015	0	City Council	Assigned
6/8/2015	0	City Council	Introduced

* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*

CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)

Introduced by: Councilmember Stokes



A RESOLUTION ENTITLED

A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
No Residential Water Shut-Offs Until Delinquent Commercial Accounts are Addressed
FOR the purpose of calling on the Department of Public Works to halt water shut-off efforts directed against residential accounts owing hundreds of dollars each until it has collected from, or shut-off water to, the commercial accounts that owe the City millions in unpaid water bills.
body

Recitals

In late March the Bureau of Water and Wastewater in the Department of Public Works announced a crackdown on seriously delinquent water bills intended to bring some 25,000 accounts with roughly $40 million in past-due water bills up to date. Notices were sent out to these customers indicating that if the bills were not paid water would be shut off.

Early reports indicate that this controversial effort is not being carried out in an even-handed manner. Although residential and commercial accounts are each responsible for about $15 million in delinquent charges, early enforcement efforts seem to be targeting families? residential accounts exclusively rather than the larger commercial customers.

In the first few weeks of the new enforcement effort, 5 times as much has reportedly been collected from residential accounts than has been collected from commercial accounts. Worse, while homes are having their water shut off at the rate of 400 to 600 a day, the...