From Tree Frog, one of my local correspondents, who attended last night's Commission Meeting - re Utility Customer Service and Billing

The hot button on this REVISED agenda was item 11. C. The last item, which omitted the information that it was an emergency request from the LAKE WORTH UTILITIES asking for $123,000.00 to renew the existing 3 month ($70,000) contract with “Government Services Group”  so that they could immediately hire 16 NEW customer service representatives, who would replace the existing 10 City Employees, who according to the City Manager and Becky, the Supervisor at LAKE WORTH UTILITIES are “non functional”, and unable to perform their jobs, resulting in the backlog of over 400 Utility Bills, one over $100,000.00 for a period of over 90 days.    There were some old uncashed checks found in the vault recently, one of them for $150,000.00.   Mayor Waterman, at her first meeting, had a copy of the contract and said that the extension clause calls for a prorated one month extension, and rather than ask for $123,000.00 that we utilize the $23,000.00 option instead.

Supervisor Becky, nearly in tears at times, was most depressed, and seemed to be hitting a brick wall with the level of incompetence, echoed by City Manager Susan who said “There is an attitude of complete lack of interest for their function of customer service, and there exists a cult of incompetence and they just don’t give a damn.”

Becky said that after the recent retirement of 3 supervisors, NOTHING IS BEING BILLED, BECAUSE THE SUPERVISORS DID ALL OF THE BILLING THEMSELVES.  They didn’t delegate the billing to their employees, echoed Commissioner Maxwell.

Becky admitted that the number of customer complaints has not been reduced, nor has the billing cycle been “on time” from meter reading to final bill, resulting in losses of thousands of dollars of revenue in a timely fashion.   She said that the system is “Broken to the core”.

Improvement of physical plant has resulted in fewer power outages, according to Becky, but the complete cycle of meter reading to billing has fallen apart.

Part of the problem is having to deal with 2 unions, and stupid things like forbidding the personal use of cell phones while at work, IS BEING DISREGARDED BY THESE 10 EMPLOYEES.  

Commissioner Maxwell asked how long it takes to file an employee complaint, and the answer was:   There are 4 levels of employee notification of unsatisfactory performance. 

#1 is mostly a verbal warning  

#2 is the same thing in writing  

#3 mostly involves theft and immediate dismissal 

#4 can take up to 18 months and has an OPTIONAL termination allowed.

Mayor Waterman asked what the “Government Services Group” had reported thus far, and Becky said, nothing in writing,  that it was just a verbal report only to herself and City Manager Susan.   The Mayor then asked for a written report or presentation prior to the August 2 meeting.

Since the two commissioners, Golden and McVoy had already made and seconded a motion  to pay the $123,000, they both asked some questions at this time, but then decided to table this motion until the meeting on August 2, when a presentation would have to be made on the prior Friday, by the “Government Services Group”   McVoy suggested that it may be in the interest of the City to have our own employees, rather than persons hired by the consultant.

BE SURE TO ATTEND THE THURSDAY MEETING July 21, 6 PM, WHERE FIRE/RESCUE WILL BE THE HOT BUTTON and Willdan group gives their report on PBC Fire Rescue.