Computer error led to late water bills

At the Grovetown City Council's semi-monthly meeting, Elton Autwell complained that he received his water bill weeks late.

"My bill has been late for three months running," Autwell said Monday, adding that bills for other residents of Harvestwood, a townhouse subdivision near downtown Grovetown, also have been late the past few months.

They are not the only ones receiving bills late - there are kinks in a new software system for tracking and billing residents for water, sewer and garbage service, said Vicky Capetillo, Grovetown's utility billing supervisor.

"It has not sent out bills. It has not added carried-over balances to some bills," Capetillo said about the new software. "Some people are getting double bills that don't belong to them."

Capetillo said problems with the conversion to the new computer system, which was put into use for March bills, are causing many late and incorrect bills to go out to residents.

"It has been a inconvenience for them (customers), and we hate it," Capetillo said, adding that city employees have been working hard to solve the software problems. "But it has been twice as much of an inconvenience for us, and we hate that even more."

Bills that are normally mailed between the 26th and 28th of the month arrive in mailboxes at about the first of the next month, Capetillo said.

Because complications have caused bills to go out weeks late, no late fees have been charged since March.

"We went through three billings, and we think we have all the kinks worked out," Capetillo said, adding that residents should receive bills at about the first of June and, as normal, late penalties will be added to bills as of the 15th of the month. "Barring any (more) problems, we expect to go back to normal."

Capetillo said any residents who have questions about their bills should call City Hall at (706) 863-4576 or bring the bill to City Hall on Old Wrightsboro Road.