PUD BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DECLARE EMERGENCY. LATE FEES AND DISCONNECTS SUSPENDED.
Jefferson County PUD’s Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting on March 18, 2020 to discuss the district’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioners Jeff Randall, Ken Collins, and Dan Toepper attended the meeting remotely, as did PUD staff, and members of the public.
During the meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 2020_005, declaring an emergency and authorizing General Manager Kevin Streett to develop policies to safeguard the health and welfare of the PUD’s employees and customers, and to implement federal and state regulations designed to limit the occurrence of the COVID-19 virus.
As the resolution states: reliable water, electricity, sewer and telecommunications services are critical to compliance with the statewide emergency directives; ensuring proper hygiene necessary to prevent the transmission of the disease and ensuring citizens, businesses, public agencies, service organizations and educational institutions are able to remain productive through use of utility systems during this state of emergency.
Due to concerns about transmission of the COVID-19 virus, the PUD had already closed its office doors to customers on Monday, March 16. The PUD also instituted distancing measures among staff and made provisions to begin to enable work from home. As PUD line and water crews are required to respond to service calls at a moment’s notice, additional steps were taken to separate crew members from other staff and the public.
During Wednesday’s emergency meeting, PUD commissioners acknowledged the current and potential impact of the pandemic on its customers. They directed General Manager Streett to take measures to ensure the health and safety of ratepayers by limiting the disconnection of services due to non-payment during the term of the statewide emergency declaration. Following the meeting, Streett directed staff to suspend all disconnects and late fees due to non-payment until further notice.
Customers experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic are asked to call the PUD to make payment arrangements as soon as possible. Despite the office closure, Customer Service is available by phone at (360) 385-5800, Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm. The PUD’s website, jeffpud.org, also offers 24/7 online payment options and other online services.
The PUD will hold its next Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, March 24th at 5pm. Instructions for calling in to the meeting or attending online via Webex are posted in the calendar section of the PUD’s website.