Water shut offs to be reinstated

By Brenda Erdahl:

City Hall will crack down on delinquent utility bills in the City of Maple Lake by shutting off water to homes where residents have fallen behind.

At its Jan. 21 meeting, the Maple Lake City Council unanimously approved reinstating what was a common practice before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to city ordinance, The City is allowed to shut off water to households that have not paid their water bills after a certain period of time. Discussion, Tuesday, was whether The City should start that practice again.

Once a year the City turns any unpaid water bills over to the Wright County assessor who then assess that amount on the property owner’s taxes. The council holds a public hearing in the fall for residents to dispute the assessment or pay their bill. In recent years, the number of households with delinquent water bills has sky rocketed.

In 2024, The City sent $50,578 in delinquent utility bills to the county assessor. In contrast, in the years when The City was turning off water as a deterrent, the number of delinquent accounts was much lower – maybe 15 or so households in the entire year compared to the 50 or 60 now. Mayor Lynn Kissock said there is a “ridiculous” number of people who are “using the City as a bank account” and no consequence to it.

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