Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities director announces retirement amid public outcry about high rates

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Key Business Executive Doug Bean has decided to retire on March 1, 2010, City Manager Curt Walton announced, Feb. 2. Bean’s decision comes amid controversy surrounding utility rates voiced by concerned community members in and around the greater Charlotte area.

Bean, 59, has served as Utilities director since April 1994. According to a CMU press release, Bean has contemplated retirement for more than a year.

“This schedule makes sense, both for me and for the organization,” he said. “The budget process will begin in March, and it seems sensible to make room for others to review past budget approaches and decide how to provide resources for the future,” he said. Bean also said the transition affords him more time to focus on recent customer concerns over high water bills, and to evaluate results from recent actions undertaken to improve the department’s response to customers. Bean will deliver additional findings and recommendations to the City Manager before leaving his post.

Only days before his retirement decision was announced, Bean issued a public statement on the department’s Web site, addressing customers’ concerns about suspected water bill errors. “Utilities is working diligently with each customer who has a water bill concern. I am committed to giving you our personal attention if you are one of those customers. I’m also committed to improving our customer service so each experience with us is productive and courteous,” said Bean.

Field investigations, he continued, have unearthed a variety of reasons for high bills, including billing errors. A report recently issued by CMU links billing complaints, which first began trickling in last fall, to human error, malfunctioning electronic transmitters and data. Most often, however, the department confirmed high water bills are linked to lawn watering or private plumbing leaks.

In a test measuring 16 in-service water meters of customers experiencing high bills, tests found 15 of those 16 tests indicated water meters to be functioning within industry standards. One meter did not meet industry standards; it was found to under-record water usage. Results from an independent verification test measuring 10 meters are due later this week.

On Jan. 25, CMU issued the following statement to local media outlets: “It’s essential that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities customers remain as confident in the bill they pay as they are with the water they drink. Since moving to automated meter reading several years ago, water billing accuracy has improved to higher than 99 percent of the 250,000 bills distributed monthly. Once in awhile, city billing errors occur. We understand how frustrating it can be if a customer receives a high bill – especially the occasional ones prompted by a billing mistake. We are committed to taking care of each customer one at a time to address these individual concerns. If there is a utilities billing error, we will fix it and adjust the customer’s account.”

“With the transition to automated meter reading in recent years, your billing accuracy has improved to more than 99 percent,” said Bean. “However, I understand your frustration if you are one of the customers whose bill is affected by human error or a meter equipment problem. If Utilities makes a mistake, we will find it, fix it and correct your bill.” Bean suggested that customers visit, www.cmutilities.com, to learn more about CMU rates, billing processes and causes for high bills. To place billing complaints, call 3-1-1.