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The Franklin City Council came to a consensus during its Jan. 27 meeting to change the due date of utility bills in the city from the 20th to the first of each month, but the indications coming out of council’s Monday, Feb. 10, meeting were that it will revisit this decision in light of citizen feedback. 

Additionally, due to utility bills going out late again in February, council voted to allow for the extension of the payment deadline for February. It will be moved to Feb. 27.

During the Council Comments portion of the Feb. 10 meeting, Ward 5 Councilwoman and Vice Mayor Wynndolyn H. Copeland spoke on the matter of what the utility bill due date will be moving forward.

“At a previous meeting, the City Council agreed to change the due date for the utility bills to the first,” she said. “Since then I have received numerous calls because some citizens do not get paid on the first. Some receive their checks on the second Wednesday as well as the third Wednesday, so I think we need to revisit that.”

Franklin Mayor Paul Kaplan said, “And I think we will, because the city manager has something on that.”

Franklin City Manager Rosylen Oglesby said, “I planned on doing a presentation to council anyway, because I’m reviewing the process, and I think that we need to have an understanding of the process — what is happening behind the scenes — before you all change the date anyway.”

Later, she added, “I was also going to share with you all that as I was walking through City Hall, I’ve overhead residents as they were paying their water bills to say that ‘it’s going to be due on the first, and I’m going to have to make a decision between paying my rent or paying my water bill.’ And so the first may not be the best day for you all.”

Oglesby noted during council’s Jan. 27 meeting that citizens had received their utility bills fairly late that month due to multiple factors, including weather and the closing of the post office on the day of the memorial service honoring the late U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

During council’s Feb. 10 meeting, Oglesby said, “Part of reviewing the process also means looking at our third-party vendor that we’re working with, and they too have been having some difficulties, which has led to — the bills will be late going out again. 

“Five hundred went out today, and the rest are planned to go out tomorrow,” she continued. “And the due date is still the 20th, and technically the city manager does not have the authority to extend (the deadline). I know I did (extend it) last (month), but hindsight is 20/20 when you know the law. I don’t have the authority to extend it.”

Ward 3 Councilman Gregory McLemore reminded the council of the recommendation he had made during the Jan. 27 meeting. He had said the council should amend the city ordinance to give the city manager the authority to adjust the utility bill due date based on her judgment because she is more aware of what the circumstances are.

At the Feb. 10 meeting, Kaplan asked if a motion could be made right then to give Oglesby the authority to adjust the due date when needed moving forward, but she indicated that this was not possible right then in terms of the permanent change.

“You have to amend the ordinance, which we’re going to have on the next agenda for that to be approved,” she said. 

However, she acknowledged that this still would not address the situation facing citizens in the month of February.

“Right, right, we need to deal with this month,” Copeland said.

Kaplan asked what the council could do about the due date for February and learned that the council could vote right then to grant Oglesby authority to change the due date for the present month.

To Oglesby, McLemore said, “I make a motion that we give you the ability to make the extension for this month.”

A 6-0 council vote in favor of the motion followed. Ward 4 Councilman Dr. Linwood Johnson was not present for the meeting.

Oglesby said the city utility bill deadline for February will be extended to Feb. 27 and will be announced on Facebook.