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Home My WebLink About6.b. Utility Billing On-Line Bill Pay Update4ROSEMOUNTEXECUTIVE SUMMARY UTILITY COMMISSION Utility Commission Meeting: March 11, 2013 AGENDA ITEM: Utility Billing On -Line Bill Pay Update AGENDA SECTION: New Business PREPARED BY: Jeff May, Finance Director AGENDA NO. L" x) ATTACHMENTS: Utility Bill Insert, Newsletter Article, Rosemount Town Pages Article APPROVED BY: RECOMMENDED ACTION: No Action Necessary — Update Only ISSUE Receive an update from the Finance Director on the implementation of the on -line bill pay and inquiry feature. BACKGROUND The ability for customers to pay their utility bills on -line has been discussed with the Utility Commission and the City Council the last two years as we have worked towards upgrading our utility billing software. We converted to our new software during the 4ffi quarter of 2012 and have been working on getting the on -line bill pay implemented for the last 3 or 4 months. Beginning with the bills that went out at the end of February we have started the process of accepting utility bills paid on -line. As part of the software package we are also offering all customers the ability to view two full calendar years of history plus their current year to date history for their billings. Also, people will have the opportunity to receive their bills by email if they opt -out of receiving paper statements. We will have updates in the coming months that will inform you of how the utilization is proceeding. SUMMARY The implementation of on -line bill pay has begun and the administration of this option should improve as time goes on and the initial startup issues have been resolved. Currently the issues have been pretty much isolated to our internal record keeping (tracking payment dates on -line against the timing of the payments posting to our merchant bank account). 4 ROSEMOUNT UTILITY BILLING Pay Your Rosemount Utilities... Online or by Calling 4 • L 'r r v Set up Auto -Pay for the amount of your bill or a fixed amount, make an immediate payment or schedule a payment. FREE services, courtesy of Rosemount Utilities! Go to www.ci.rosemount.mn.us /billpay 1. Click "Pay Bill Now" 2. You will go to our payment processor's website where you should register and make your payment 1- 877 - 885 -7968 (have your bill handy to provide your customer account number) Go to www.ci.rosemount.mn.us /billpay 1. Click "View Bill Now" 2. You will go to our payment processor's website where you should register 3. You will get an email each time your bill is ready You don't have to pay online to view your bills online. VISA0;_[h (DISCOVER eCheck GO GREEN opt out of paper bills Payment processing by... JMA_W� H Payment Service Network. Inc. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT and FINANCE * CDA program offers assistance to first -time home buyers * Learn more at www .dakotacda.org/homebuyers.htm. Homebuyers in Dakota County can now access fixed, low- interest mortgage financing along with a Mortgage Credit Certificate and up to $10,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance through this round of the Dakota County Community Development Agency's First Time Homebuyer Program. There will be approximately $30 million in first mortgage financing available along with a mortgage credit certificate option that will help about 200 households achieve homeownership. The interest rate in early March was 3.375 %. First time homebuyers or households that have not owned a home in the last three years can use this financing with 30 -year FHA or VA loans. Single family homes, townhomes or condominiums in Dakota County are eligible for the program with a maximum purchase price of $276,683. Income limits are $83,900 for a one- or two - person household and $92,290 for a three- or more person household. Along with the first mortgage financing, homebuyers can elect to apply for a mortgage credit certificate through the Give Yourself Credit! program. This certificate provides a federal income tax credit equal to 35% of the annual interest paid on the loan and helps reduce the amount of federal income tax the household is required to pay. Down payment and closing cost assistance loans are also available and amounts vary based on income. These loans feature zero percent interest and are deferred until the first mortgage is paid off, when the home is sold or refinanced, or when the home is no longer the buyer's primary residence. HOME OWNERSHIP CDKxectGDit/ Online options now available for City's utility customers Convenience and cost savings cited The City of Rosemount is offering utility customers a simple way to view and pay their bills for the City's water and sewer service. The system provides convenience to customers while saving on the cost of mailing printed bills to those who choose to take part. Beginning with bills received around March 1, customers can register to view the amount they owe and make a payment. Users can also pay by calling a toll -free automated telephone line. Once they are registered, Rosemount utility customers can opt out of receiving bills by mail and will get an email when a new bill is issued. If a customer still wants a printed bill, payment can be made online, by mail, or in person. The system also allows users to set up automatic payments. "We believe many of our utility customers will appreciate the convenience of the online option," said Mayor Bill Droste. "And reducing paperwork fits in with the City Council's goal to improve sustainability of our operations." Customers can pay from home 24 hours a day. They can log onto www.ci.rosemount.mn.us/billpay. They can also pay through a toll -free automated phone service at 1- 877 -885 -7968. V1I I Utility billing will move online ■ Online option will start with March hill By EMILY ZIMMER Staff writer If the only check you write each month is to the city of Rosemount, you might finally be able to put away the checkbook for good. Starting in March the city will offer online bill paying for water and sewer service. Starting with the bills mailed out in early March, residents can register to view and pay their water and sewer bills online. Residents can also pay by calling a toll -free tele- phone line. Finance director Jeff May said residents will re- ceive instructions on how to use the new system with their March state- ment. He encouraged res- idents to take a good look at the insert. "There will be pretty detailed instructions," said May. In addition to being able to pay online, resi- dents will have the option to receive bills through email or to set up auto- matic payments. Resi- dents can continue to receive and pay their bills through traditional mail as well as in person at city hall. May said eventually residents will be able to view their payment his- tory on the site, but that part of the system is not yet finished. Providing payment op- tions online has been a goal of the city council for several years. Last August, the council approved the purchase of new Civic Systems software to make it possible. The city had not updated its billing software since 2000. The new system cost more than $25,000 including the software, implementation and training expenses. In a press release, mayor Bill Droste said, "We believe many of our utility customers will ap- preciate the convenience of the online option. And reducing paperwork fits in with the council's goal to improve sustainability of city operations." The city processes more than 7,000 accounts. May said if residents use the system it will make in- putting information easier and will cut down on some work. However, he added that it will take time to know how many resi- dents actually use the new H. Duane Sunde Estate in Faribault County, MN (Kiester Township) Land Section' 34 Land Section 36 149.7 acres nill of cropland 150.8 acres mll of cropland • Corn base of 191.0 • Corn base of 173.0 • Soybean base of 44.0 • Soybean base of 44.0 • Average CPI of 88.9 • Average CPI of 89.9 Information obtained from sources deemed reliable, accuracy of information not guaranteed. 10 year FSA average. Farm land sold in SO acre tracts (4 available). Seller reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Written bids should be delivered no later than Friday, February 23, 2013 to: Peterson, Savelkoul, Kolker, All persons submitting competitive bids, Haedt & Benda, LTD. Attention: Dan Kolker as determined by the Executors, will be invited to a live auction in Scarville, IA on 211 S Newton Avenue March 1, 2013. Albert Lea, MN 56007 For .. system. "We won't know if peo- ple are taking advantage of it for six months to a year," said May. Residents can view the new system at www.ci.rosemount.mn.us/ billpay. Residents can also call 1- 877- 885 -7968. The system will accept credit and debit cards, as well as electronic payments from checking or savings ac- counts. With auto -pay, users do not have to keep track of making pay- ments each month. Auto - payments can be set for the amount of the bill or a budgeted amount. - -- ....-... I— _ ui _ IJCL1 L11V1 J V1 r1111L r1111J Al ing, Flint Hills is paying for sources. all travel, lodging and PET OF THE WEEK Lovely Lanna Lanna is a 5- to 6 year old shih tzu. She is playful and affectionate. She is house trained and sleeps well in a crate. She loves to play and is good with other dogs and cats. 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