The WDBA currently owes us ...

 

Ms. Siegel;

I would like to point out the following two items.

Sec. 70-1.  Schedule for payments of accounts.

(a)   All accounts for water, sewer and solid waste collection services for each billing period shall be due and payable in full before 5:00 p.m. on the 30th calendar day after the billing date for that period, except that, if the resultant due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or city observed holiday, the actual due date and time shall be extended to 5:00 p.m. of the next city business day. If the amount billed is not paid in full by the due date and time, it is delinquent, and

(1)   An administrative charge of 1.5 percent of the amount due or $10.00, whichever is greater, will be added to the account if the delinquent amount is greater than $10.00.
(2)   Service will be terminated without further notice, as scheduled by the city, if the delinquent amount is greater than $10.00 and if the same account holder at the same location has been delinquent at least once during the past 12-month period. If service is discontinued or scheduled for disconnection, a $15.00 service charge will be assessed.

(b)   If an amount billed is not paid in full by the due date and time, payment of the delinquent amount shall be made before service is continued or restored.

Next, in an email to me, you indicated the following:

E-mail dated Thursday. June 4, 2009 1:57 p.m.
The City has followed shut off practices that have been in place for many years. These practices are being reviewed to ensure that they are being applied uniformly.

I have requested a copy, for the last three years, of the Deerfield Beach Utility Bills for all customers who last name ends in 'Poitier'.  Taking for example Felicia Poitier, you will find that Ms. Poitier was allowed to go up to 8 months without paying her water bill, and the 1.5% interest fee was *never* applied. 

Additionally, I have found that the Westside District Businessman Association currently owes $12,013.84.  Unless something has changed since I received my Bachlelor degree in Applied Mathematics, $12,013.84 is greater than $10.00.  Nearly 1,200 times greater...

Therefore, I request the following:

1)  A complete report on the City's shut off practices.
2)  Access to the shut off list for the last three years.
3)  The person(s) who have allowed the Poitier family a free pass on this issue.  For example, the City has shutoff practices, yet Felicia Poitier was allowed to go 8 months without paying her bill and even then, she made a partial payment.
4)  An explanation to the taxpayers of Deerfield Beach why we should not consider this special exemption for a sitting Commissioner and her family
5)  A copy of City procedures showing it's the job of our City Manager to go collect on past due bills 

Lastly, please keep in mind that the Florida Supreme Court has mandated that PRR must be complied in a "limited reasonable time".  The previous request on this matter - all of the Poitier water bills - took nearly a month to complete.  I will not be as patient and I should advise you that I have been in close contact with the Attorney General's office and in particular, their Sunshine Law attorney.  I am intimately familiar with my rights and I ask that you do not test my understanding.

Good day to you Maam.

Chaz Stevens