On October 8, 2020, the City Council of the City of Lockhart reinstated utility disconnections due to non-payment and reestablished late fees, provided customers are given a 30-day notice of the decision.
On March 24, the Council directed the City to halt late fees and non-payment utility disconnections during the Coronavirus Pandemic. In August, the Public Utility Commission informed utility providers that reestablishing late fees and disconnection of services was acceptable with the requirement that providers give a 30-day notice to customers of their intent to do so. During the October 8 Council meeting, Council directed the City to proceed with disconnections and late fees with the following conditions:
- Provide a 30-day notice of intent, and
- all outstanding balances, apart from the current billing cycle, will be placed on a payment plan with an ending date of September 30, 2021.
It is recommended that any utility customer who has been affected by COVID-19 contact the Utility Customer Service Department to discuss applying for assistance to pay their outstanding balance through the Utility Relief Program designed with funding made available by the CARES Act.