An accounting error by Langley Public Works led to 10 properties receiving free sewer service, one as far back as July 2012.

Once discovered by Utilities Supervisor Randi Perry, who went through each account while working on the Langley Comprehensive Plan update, $337 bills were sent out covering one year of base sewer service, even though some technically owed more. The decision made by Langley Public Works was an acknowledgement of its own culpability.

“It’s embarrassing when government makes a mistake,” said Public Works Director Stan Berryman. “I guess government is like everybody else, it does happen.”

Langley was legally advised it could not waive the costs because it would be a gift of public funds. The unexpected billing, however, drew the ire of resident Monica Guzman. She runs a bed and breakfast in her family’s home on Park Street and brought up the issue during Monday’s city council meeting.

She was charged more than $700 ($337 of it was the delinquent charge) after not paying sewer fees as part of her combined city utilities bill for two years. More than the cost, which Guzman said was no small thing, she criticized how it was handled by Berryman.

In January, Guzman said Berryman called her and asked her a handful of questions about her residence and business. At no point, said Guzman, did he inform her of the delinquent payments.

When a bill for about $680 came in the mail, she was floored.

“I had no idea. I was paying my bills regularly,” Guzman said in a phone interview Thursday.

“I’m not the kind of moron that doesn’t pay the bills,” she added, citing a recent bill that listed water, stormwater and a utility tax, but excluded sewer.

Berryman, for his part, said he thought he had informed Guzman of the issue and the oncoming debt.

After being out of the state in February, Guzman said her daughter and grandchild arrived home Feb. 24 to find the water was shut off. That was especially disconcerting because Guzman thought she had an agreement with the mayor to sort out the problem when she returned in March.

“It is totally, totally, out of line,” said Guzman, who also volunteers on the city’s Civil Service Commission.

“The way it was handled, it was wrong,” she added.

Berryman did not know how the mistakes were made, or even when. Some turnover in public works, which has seen three different directors in three years, may have led to the mistake, which Berryman categorized as an accounting error.

Another possible reason for the flap could be that most residents do not distinguish between stormwater and sewer. Langley has dedicated lines and has different charges for each utility.

A similar issue happened years ago, Councilwoman Rene Neff said after Guzman’s public address to the council March 2.

“This is the second time since I’ve been on the council,” she said.

The Guzmans’ plight drew Neff’s empathy and interest. The councilwoman asked city staff to look at ways to address delinquent bill issues other than shutting off utilities. Rules for delinquent payments are laid out in the Langley Municipal Code and include the discontinuation of service if accounts are 30 days late after being mailed. Changing the way shutoffs are handled or authorized didn’t make sense to Berryman, who said typically two or three properties go through the process each month since being hired in Langley.

“The system we have is pretty fair,” he said.

“It’s effective because most of the people will come in and pay their bills,” he added.

Guzman said when she writes checks for her utilities bill, she rarely looks at the full forms after having paid monthly for years.

“I don’t ever recall looking at the bill’s itemized form,” she said.

As a means of avoiding future mishaps, Berryman said city staff is taking a closer look at its accounting program and entries. By making sure properties are entered in correctly, the city can avoid future problems such as this.

All of the delinquent sewer bills have been paid.