By Tim Schmidt Record Managing Editor If you rent a home or apartment in Wright City, do you know who is paying for the water? Identifying the responsible party for payment has been a problem for a few residential properties and city officials are working to fix the issue. Wright City aldermen voted 4-0 to adopt an updated ordinance placing responsibility on the landlord to make sure the city is contacted each time a new tenant moves into their rental property at last Thursday’s meeting. The problem that arose was mainly due to miscommunication. The tenant thought the landlord was paying the monthly water bill, or the landlord assumed the tenant was making payments, according to city officials. In some instances water bills weren’t being paid for up to a year and in one case a tenant did not pay for water for up to four years, according said. “People would move in and out,” Mayor David Heiliger said. “We had so many issues with water bills. We had to clean it up.” City officials said the problem is being fixed. Under the amended ordinance, it will be unlawful for any person — either an owner, occupant or agent — to occupy a residence without the city first being notified, an inspection being performed and an occupancy permit being issued. Failure to comply with the city ordinance could result in a municipal summons being issued to the property owner. A fine up to $500 could be assessed for every day the city finds the property owner to be in violation. Under the previous ordinance, a new tenant occupying a residence was required to contact the city. “This makes the landlord more responsible,” said Karen Girondo, city treasurer/economic development director. Just because bills went unpaid in some cases, city officials emphasized that no one is getting away with receiving free water. In the situations where a water bill was not paid for a lengthy amount of time, such as a year, payment arrangements have been set up. City officials said the response from those who have to play catch-up on their water bills has been mostly positive. “They’re just happy that we’re willing to work with them,” Heiliger said. City staff has been reviewing all inactive accounts and vacant properties to identify where homes may be connected to the city’s water system, but not receiving monthly bills. “Someone is responsible,” Heiliger said.
Landlords have responsibility for getting water bills paid
