To Our Patrons,
Following the recent mailing of mid-year assessment statements, we’ve received several questions and comments that we’d like to address and clarify.
Annual Assessment Timeline
Each year, assessment statements are mailed in mid-January to all of our approximately 6,000 patrons (approximately 7,000 assessments). These assessments are not due until April 1st of the current year.
Historically, about 25% of our patrons pay shortly after receiving the January statement, and by April 1st, roughly 75% have paid in full. However, we understand that assessments mailed in January can sometimes be misplaced or forgotten by the due date. While our obligation is fulfilled by sending the original notice in January, we send a second billing notice—the mid-year statement—to those with outstanding balances. This typically occurs between June and August.
The date shown on the statement sent last week—January 21, 2025—reflects the date the original assessment was issued, not the date of the current mailing.
We Want to Help – Please Don’t Wait
We understand how important it is for you to have access to irrigation water, and we want to ensure that service is available when you need it. If you are experiencing a problem or have concerns about your irrigation water, please contact our office immediately. Don’t wait until you receive your assessment or a past-due notice to reach out—early communication helps us resolve issues quickly.
Clarifying “Hidden Fees”
Some patrons have expressed concern about what they believe are “hidden fees” included in the mid-year statement. Please know that these are not hidden fees—they are interest charges applied to unpaid balances.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your account or a past-due balance, we encourage you to contact our office. We are always happy to assist and provide clarification.
Mailing Issues and Returned Notices
Once assessment statements are delivered to the post office, they are out of our control. Unfortunately, we do receive a significant amount of returned mail marked as “undeliverable,” despite sending mail to the same addresses for many years without issue.
Sometimes, mail is returned with a yellow label marked “Nixie”—a postal term indicating delivery failure. Although the postal service doesn’t always provide an explanation, we’ve been instructed to remove the yellow sticker and re-mail the statement. Before doing so, our staff double-checks the address on file against the one on the returned mail.
In some cases, we’ve even received returned mail from two or three years prior, all at once. When mail is returned, we make every effort to locate an updated address or a working phone number to reach the patron for confirmation. Each piece of returned mail is documented in the patron’s account and held until contact can be made.
Please contact the office if you have any further questions. 541-476-2582