Why is this so hard?

Jack Bog’s blog links to an ordinance (pdf) setting different rates for water use depending on whether the account is billed monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly. The ordinance states specifically that “optional monthly billing will be at no extra charge”. Does that mean that if the account is designated as being billed bi-monthly but the customer opts for monthly payments, the daily rate stays at the bi-monthly level? Interesting information and comments on Jack’s site.

It was only in April 2007 that the City joined the 21st Century in offering on-line payments for water/sewer bills – see my post at the time. According to the Water Bureau site, there is already a monthly billing option with estimated/equalized payments. There still isn’t an option for automatic electronic bank transfer, however. Comments on this blog by Water Bureau Director David Shaff, promised a 24/7 phone line to take credit card payments, “in a couple of months”. That was in June. I don’t see even that option listed yet.

Evidently, the good folks at the Water Bureau are working on this issue. There is currently a poll on the Water Bureau site, in the right sidebar of this page, seeking information on “Which of the following billing options do you think the Portland Water Bureau should investigate to best serve your needs?”. It isn’t clear to me why monthly billing and automatic payments are set as mutually exclusive options – customers may vote for one or the other, but not both.

I would be interested to hear why it is taking so long, and seems so difficult to do what other utility billing systems have been doing routinely for years – both monthly billing, and automatic payments by electronic transfer. There is likely a reason. What is it?