Looks as if the city and Cornerstone have partially settled the water bill kerfluffle as Cornerstone has paid $25,000 of the $90,000 bill. From comments in the article, it appears that Cornerstone charged tenants $33 per month for water, anticipating an average bill per household of $30 to $40. However, the average bill ran closer to $90 to $100 per month, reflecting the larger number of families with young children living in the complex, as singles and students tend to use much less water.
What surprises me is that the owners of Cornerstone say they have known about the unpaid water bills since last year, have been in negotiations with the city over payment received a notice of disconnect 18 days ago, but made no attempt to raise the water rates charged to tenants to cover the cost, letting the unpaid bills build up. Granted, Cornerstone, as it says in the article, focuses on low income housing, but it is still a for-profit entity and should have made tenants aware of the need to raise water rates long ago.
What surprises me is that the owners of Cornerstone say they have known about the unpaid water bills since last year, have been in negotiations with the city over payment received a notice of disconnect 18 days ago, but made no attempt to raise the water rates charged to tenants to cover the cost, letting the unpaid bills build up. Granted, Cornerstone, as it says in the article, focuses on low income housing, but it is still a for-profit entity and should have made tenants aware of the need to raise water rates long ago.
I could be wrong, but I think the high water bills might partially be because of leaky pipes and outdated infrastructure. If I remember correctly, the previous City Council had started annexing some of the properties in the park because they had had to go in and repair some of the water/sewer lines, which Cornerstone had neglected. I'm not sure if that can explain ALL of the high bills, but I am glad they didn't just raise the rates on everyone (which is also part of the problem - not everyone uses water the same, so why should they all pay the same...) I think I remember some of the residents complaining at a council meeting, maybe 2-3 years ago, about all of the issues they were having. I hope this can all get settled now.
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