‘We understand’: Ashland to cut some slack in face of closed utilities office – Medford News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News

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‘We understand’: Ashland to cut some slack in face of closed utilities office By Morgan Rothborne Updated: Dec 09, 2022 04:10 PM A A The Ashland utilities office has been closed since Sept. 20, making it hard for people to get answers about their bills. [Mail Tribune / file photo] During the Ashland City Council meeting Tuesday, Councilor Tonya Graham asked a question posed by many residents over the past few months: What will happen to those who can’t pay their bills on time because of Ashland’s closed utilities office? “There are folks who are very concerned about two possibilities: one is that they might have their service shut off because they’re unable to pay their bill; second is that they may incur some kind of door knocker notice,” Graham said. “Are we suspending shutoffs? What are we doing to make people not have so much anxiety about the difficulty they’re having?” City Manager Joe Lessard responded the city is offering as much grace as it can in light of the situation. “The individuals that are getting their bills late will not have to face premature cutoff. We understand; we appreciate their circumstances and their concern,” said Lessard. “We know it will be late, we will not be taking any steps to cut off utility service and there won’t be late charges. Individuals once they receive their bill can pay it as they would normally,” he said. Ashland’s utilities billing office has been closed since Sept. 30, due to staffing shortages. Processing of bills has been delayed, and some who have problems with their bills have struggled to find a person able to help them. The city has stated it is working to hire new staff and intends to reopen the offices as soon as possible. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected] or 541-776-4487. Follow her on Twitter @MRothborne.