Water district mulls billing agreement

By DINA ARÉVALO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

One bill, one check. That was the idea pitched to the Laguna Madre Water District (LMWD) Wednesday evening by the Port Isabel and Laguna Vista city managers.

The two men — Port Isabel’s Jared Hockema and Laguna Vista’s Rolando Vela — presented the idea of joining into an interlocal agreement with the water district to include garbage bills on residents’ monthly water bill.

“We want to include that fee on your utility bill,” Vela said, adding that Laguna Vista would be willing to help offset the cost of administering the bills by charging an administrative fee.

Hockema explained that a single bill for water, sewage and garbage would better serve both residents and the two municipalities by increasing efficiency and producing a cost savings on postage. It would also help the two municipalities keep better track of who does or doesn’t have a garbage collection account, since residents are more likely to communicate with the water district for water and sewer services.

Currently, Laguna Vista residents are billed quarterly for their garbage pickup. That service includes twice weekly pickup, and once monthly brush pickup. Republic Services charges residents a $1.50 fee to issue them that bill every three months, Vela said.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the Port Isabel-South Padre Press, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.portisabelsouthpadre.com/2017/11/10/water-district-mulls-billing-agreement/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.