There are a high volume of delinquent utility bills in the Village of Marcellus, Dennis Irwin reported to the Village Council at their January 12th Meeting. A total of 84 Marcellus households showing “Past Due” utility bills, would potentially have been on the shut-off list for January. The State of Michigan has a ban on water shut-offs in place through March 31, 2021 because of Covid-19 concerns so the Village is currently not shutting off water when residents have overdue balances. The Council did vote at the November 24th Council Meeting to resume late fee penalties starting with the January 2021 bill and encouraged residents to call in for a payment plan.
If you or someone you know are struggling with utility bills, please be aware that there are agencies that your can reach out to for help Here are a few:
- Cass County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) at 269-445-0200 or visit their website at MDHHS – Michigan Department of Health and Human Services or www.michigan.gov/mibridges
- Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency (SMCAA) will also help at 269-925-9077 or visit their website at https://www.smcaa.com/ to learn about their services. The Village has paper copies of the SMCAA applications for assistance at the office.
- Call 211 for more resources or just to talk about the stresses the pandemic has magnified.