Annexation discussion postponed until November

The annexation of two parcels in Clearwater will wait a month.

During the October village board meeting, clerk Angie Hupp told trustees adjacent property owners were to receive letters regarding the process.

“We have to start over,” she said.

The matter will go back to the planning commission for a public hearing. The commission will then make a recommendation to village trustees.

In other business, Hupp told trustees the village’s utility program hadbeen switched to the new system.

“It was supposed to be a smooth transition. It hasn’t been” she said.

It took gWorks two weeks to fix a problem regarding payment entry. The clerk said once all payments were entered, it was too late to send late bill notices. She notified chairman Kelly Kerkman about the issue.

Once the program was running, Hupp asked the company where automatic clearing house payments were located and was told it’s not an option with the just the utilities program.

"We have to get what is called front desk, which is an extra $400 to $500 a year," she said.

A convenience fee is also applied to each ACH transaction, which can range from $1.35 for payments up to $150 dollars and $1.95 for payments more than $150.

"We'd have to pass on to those who do ACH," Hupp said.

In the past, the bank and the old program did not add a fee.

Hupp could enter the ACH data manually each month.

"It's just time consuming," she said.

Adding Front Desk to the programs the village currently uses from gWorks would bring the annual charge to $5,400, plus a $60 annual fee for updates.

Trustee Cody Kester asked how many ACH payment plans are set up.

According to Hupp, 93 accounts use it.

"I hate to penalize them for using that," said trustee Brian King.

"I'm not sure what the right answer is now. They didn't tell me about all this stuff the last year and a half I've talked to them about it," Hupp said.

Kester suggested entering the ACH information manually.

"It's cheaper in the long run to enter it long hand," he said.

"We can always go back and add it," Kerkman said.

Trustess also approved:

• Designating $50,000 in general funds to treet funds.

• Jamie Hart as Clearwater Market manager for a liquor license application.

• A payment of $2,070 to Parra Boyz Construction for concrete for a lagoon shed. The bill will be paid with USDA lagoon grant funds.

• Wage increases to $20 per hour for Steve Hankla and Paul Horman.