The city of New Bloomfield will no longer require a utility security deposit from new customers. Furthermore, all current customers will receive their existing deposits back.
The New Bloomfield Board of Aldermen has passed an ordinance, amending its utility billing procedures. Local residents establishing utility service will no longer have to put down a security deposit.
All current utility security deposits will be refunded. The refund will be distributed as a credit on current customers' accounts next billing cycle.
Terra Guittar, city and municipal court clerk, said the utility deposit fund gets a lot of activity because of the large rental market in New Bloomfield.
"People come in, they put their deposit down and then three months later, they move out," Guittar said. "The reason why it isn't a big issue for us to have a deposit is because the landlord and whomever owns the property are ultimately responsible for whatever bills are left with the property. So we always get paid no matter what."
She added the city has not experienced significant problems with residents not paying their utilities.
Closing the fund and refunding current customers' deposits is part of a city effort to "streamline" accounting practices, Guittar said, noting the city is working on closing several of its checking accounts and combining them into one operating fund account.
In the past, Guittar said, when the city had to save for a project - like replacing the city's police car or making water tower repairs - the city would open a separate account for each project. She said New Bloomfield had several savings accounts set up and decided to streamline its financial processes.
In other news, the New Bloomfield Police Department hired a new reserve officer, Miguel Rivero. He is currently an investigator with the Attorney General's office, and has prior experience working in Boone County law enforcement. He lives in the Moberly area.
Hiring Rivero gives the police department a total of four officers - two paid and two reserve officers - in a department slotted for six total officers, Police Chief Chris Hammann said.
"It's important to have guys who are working different hours," Hammann said.
Since reserve officers work on a volunteer and part-time basis, they all have other jobs and commitments. Having more reserve officers makes scheduling easier and allows the city to have officers on patrol more frequently, he said.
New Bloomfield's police department has hired four reserve officers in the past year. One new hire had to resign because he is going back to school.
Hammann said the police department hopes to hire two additional reserve officers. Anyone interested in taking on the role can pick up an application from New Bloomfield City Hall, located at 501 Glenwood Drive in New Bloomfield.