Committee on Finance meeting, August 29, 2023
- When: Tue, Aug 29, 2023, 9:00 AM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Finance
- Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8928482/video/858726806
- Transcript: full text (22,056 words, official captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The Committee on Finance held a subject matter hearing, with no votes taken, on a resolution by Alderperson Gilbert Villegas calling on the Department of Water Management and the Department of Finance to discuss high and inaccurate water bills. Ten members of the public described large or disputed water bills, problems reaching the departments, and bills blocking property sales, permits and licenses, and researchers from Elevate and the University of Illinois Chicago presented findings on water affordability. The acting city comptroller and the water commissioner explained metered and non-metered billing, meter reading technology, the Utility Billing Relief program, and a municipal code provision that bars forgiving charges for water lost through leaks. Members asked about customer service, appeals, senior discounts, real-time usage data and modernizing the meter and billing systems, and departments agreed to send flowcharts, data and policy recommendations through the chair.
Topics: water billing, water meters, Utility Billing Relief, customer service, billing appeals, senior exemptions, technology modernization, fines and fees, water shutoffs
Agenda items discussed
- 23:19 Subject matter hearing on resolution calling on the Departments of Water Management and Finance to address water bills: discussed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Pat Dowell (chair): Asked the comptroller how many additional accounts an expansion of the Utility Billing Relief program would cover. (1:34:36); Asked whether the senior exemption applies to seniors with their own accounts who live in condominiums. (2:11:11); Said she had experienced a silent toilet leak and paid high bills until a plumber identified the problem. (2:37:02)
- Gilbert Villegas (alderperson): Said residents had shared very large water bills, recalled the 2019 fines and fees reforms, and said the city must fix the problem. (57:02); Said about $350 million in capital funds was set aside for IT upgrades and a Gartner report blueprint exists, but none had been implemented. (58:57); Called for notifying residents of unusual usage, as other cities do, and better data sharing between the departments. (59:49)
- Byron Sigcho-López (alderperson): Said high water and sewer costs fall heavily on vulnerable communities and asked what progress has been made on lead service line replacement goals. (1:21:36); Said unpaid water bills prevent full payment certificates needed for affordable housing and asked what recourse exists for low-income homeowners. (1:29:01); Said he had proposed using funds for low-income homeowner relief in 2021 and hoped the issue would become a priority. (1:33:49)
- Jeanette B. Taylor (alderperson): Asked how many Chicago customers are without water service. (1:40:45); Asked how many suburban municipalities owe the city for water, contrasting them with residents whose water was shut off. (1:42:01); Criticized customer service and collection practices, saying residents should not lose licenses over billing mistakes and that faulty meters should be replaced proactively. (1:43:16)
- Michael D. Rodriguez (alderperson): Said his office regularly receives egregious bills and asked for the process constituents follow when disputing a bill, with response-time metrics. (1:50:38); Cautioned that some residents are reluctant to accept new technology and lead service line replacements and said communication in native languages is key. (1:56:11)
- David H. Moore (alderperson): Asked whether someone was working with the senior resident who testified and asked to be told the outcome. (1:58:34); Asked whether there is a formal appeals process for water bills similar to property tax appeals. (1:59:28); Asked whether leak notification letters are still sent consistently, saying he no longer received them. (2:02:45)
- Felix Cardona Jr. (alderperson): Asked what water bill credits seniors receive and whether seniors who own two-flats qualify. (2:05:31); Said seniors in two-flats should receive a water bill credit and asked about replacing old meters. (2:07:44); Said Finance and water customer service should show more compassion and departments should communicate better, and called for collecting unpaid suburban water debts. (2:09:11)
- William E. Hall (alderperson): Asked how much of a water bill goes toward infrastructure investment. (2:12:55); Asked whether residents can see their water usage in real time. (2:14:25); Asked the process and timeline for disputing a water bill that does not make sense. (2:16:06)
- Andre Vasquez Jr. (alderperson): Asked the average time it takes to resolve a disputed bill. (2:19:02); Asked whether the leak provision is state law or city code and requested a memo of recommended code changes. (2:24:00); Asked who leads modernization and on what timeline, and said the city needs a separate information technology department. (2:24:55)
- Nicholas Sposato (alderperson): Thanked department staff for responsiveness on billing problems and said metering every home quickly is not feasible and some residents prefer not to be metered. (2:32:50)
- Brian Hopkins (alderperson): Said the city should educate residents about silent toilet flapper valve leaks, the most common household leak according to plumbers, through the website and call center. (2:34:38)
Exchanges between members
- 1:50:31 Alderperson Michael D. Rodriguez thanked Alderperson Gilbert Villegas for organizing the hearing.
- 1:51:03 Alderperson Michael D. Rodriguez said he was interested in following Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor line of questioning about assistance to the public.
- 1:58:34 Alderperson David H. Moore thanked Alderperson Gilbert Villegas for bringing the matter to the council.
- 2:05:22 Alderperson Felix Cardona Jr. thanked Alderperson Gilbert Villegas for raising the water bill issue.
- 2:09:49 Alderperson Felix Cardona Jr. referred to Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor point about suburban municipalities that have not paid for city water.
- 2:11:11 The chair followed up on Alderperson Felix Cardona Jr. senior exemption questions by asking about seniors in condominiums.
- 2:24:58 Alderperson Andre Vasquez Jr. agreed with Alderperson Gilbert Villegas that much of the problem is modernization and technology.
- 2:36:59 Alderperson Brian Hopkins thanked Alderperson Gilbert Villegas for holding the hearing.
- 2:37:02 The chair told Alderperson Brian Hopkins he was right about silent leaks, describing her own experience.
- 2:37:44 Alderperson Gilbert Villegas thanked the chair for hosting the hearing.
- 2:43:54 The chair thanked Alderperson Gilbert Villegas for his leadership on the issue.