Politics

Duggan Works to Repair PR Nightmare; Unveils 10-Point Plan to Avoid Water Shutoffs

August 07, 2014, 1:23 PM by  Allan Lengel

Standing in front of  a backdrop of community leaders and officials from do-good organizations and City Council President Brenda Jones, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Thursday announced a 10-point plan to deal with the water shutoff problem that had become a public relations nightmare.

The program includes a plan to raise big donations to help folks in need with their water bills; improved notification to customers facing a pending shutoff; extended customer hours at customer centers; waiving turn-on and late payment penalties and implementation of an affordable, 24 month payment plan. 

Before going over the plan, Duggan said at the press conference that he was his frustrated with how the shutoffs were handled under the emergency manager before he was  given authority to run the department about a week ago. 

"As I’ve said before, the way this has been handled has not reflected well. But we're not dwelling on what happened before." Later, he said the problem would not have spun out of control had he been running the department in the first place.

"It’s been an emotional few weeks in this  town as everybody knows," Duggan said. " You've had people who are genuinely in need who did not know how to get help and had their service shut off.  You had people who wanted to make payments who tried to do it, who couldn't get through on the phone or stood in line for long periods of time. You had people who stood in line,d got to the front of the line and aid 'I want to pay my mom's water bill' and they said 'you need to have ID to prove that your mom lives in the house."  

Duggan said that Detroiters who were paying their bills were paying an extra $80 a year to cover those who weren't. He said that number would soon turn to $100 if nothing was done to deal withthe delinquent bills.

Since March, the city water department has suspended service to more than 17,000 Detroiters, but more than half have had water turnd back on after paying their bill or making payment arrangements.

Duggan said there is no moratorium on cracking down on delinquent commercial customers.

The 10-point plan, as printed in a release to the media, follows: 

1. Waive Turn-On Fees and Late Payment Penalties.
During the moratorium, which ends August 25th, DWSD will waive turn-on fees for customers whose water had been shut off, as well as all late payment penalties.

2. Cut red tape.
To simplify getting into a payment plan, customers only need to present a valid state ID.  Once a payment is made, service will be restored within 48 hours.

3. Extend hours at DWSD Customer Care Centers. 
The DWSD has expanded hours at all of its Customer Care Centers, from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Monday - Friday (previously 8:30AM – 5:30 PM) and 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM on weekends (previously 9AM – Noon) to make sure customer service agents are available at all times. The DWSD has also added staff to reduce wait times.

4. Increase staffing at the DWSD Call Center and extend hours.
DWSD has also expanded hours at its Call Center to 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM daily (previously 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM) and 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM on weekends (weekend hours for the Call Center are new). Starting August 18th, the Call Center will have 50 percent more staff and new phone technology to better serve customers.

5. Cobo Water Fair Aug. 23. 
A Water Affordability Fair will be held at Cobo Center Saturday August 23rd to give customers one last opportunity to connect with all of the DWSD and community resources available to them before the moratorium ends August 25th.

6. Improve notification for customers in danger of shut-off.
The DWSD is expanding its efforts to communicate with customers who are late on their payments or may be facing shut-off.  Bills will more clearly explain their status and assistance information will be included with the bill.  Workers also will hand-deliver notices to all homes in shut-off status one week before their scheduled shut-off to give them time to enter into a payment plan. 

7. Implement an Affordable Payment Plan.
Any resident with a delinquent account can enter into a 24-month “10/30/50” payment plan by coming to their local DWSD Customer Care Center, showing a valid state ID and paying down only 10 percent of their past-due balance. (The previous down payment requirement was 30 percent of the past-due balance.) If a customer misses a payment, they can reapply for the program by putting down 30 percent of their past-due balance.  A second missed payment will require a 50 percent down payment of their past-due amount.  Any customer who misses a third payment will no longer be eligible for the payment plan. 

8. Provide financial assistance for low-income Detroit customers. 
Starting August 11th DWSD Customer Care Centers will begin processing applications for the Detroit Water Fund. By paying down only 10 percent of their past-due balance, eligible city residents will receive up to 25 percent assistance with their bill from the new Detroit Water Fund.  DWSD has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, which will prequalify residents. To be eligible for Detroit Water Fund assistance, customers must be Detroit residents who:
•    Have an outstanding balance between $300 and $1000; AND
•    Maintain Average Water Usage for their household size; AND
•    Are either enrolled in DTE’s Low Income Self-Sufficiency Plan (LSP); OR,
•    Have income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level (for example, a family of 4 must have an annual income below $35,775). This funding is available on a first come first served basis and is subject to availability.

9. Build Neighborhood Partnerships.
DWSD customers are not alone.  We’ve established a support network to assist individuals who may not qualify for some of the DWSD assistance programs.  Our partners include United Way 211, THAW, WAVE and Wayne Metro.

10. Provide a clear way to give.
Many people offer to help Detroiters struggling to pay their water bills. There are several ways to donate to the Detroit Water Fund: online, by text message, by check or by phone. Details are available at www.DetroitWaterFund.org.



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