A hitch in the mail service has delayed delivery of utility bills for several Iolans this month.
Iola City Council members were told the bills were apparently stuck in a postal facility in Kansas City for several days after they were mailed by the city on Jan. 30.
The affected customers started receiving their bills on Saturday, more than a week after they were sent out.
“I’m not picking on the U.S. Postal Service,” City Administrator Matt Rehder said. “They were put out in the mail on a timely basis, but they were not processed on a timely basis.”
Councilwoman Kim Peterson said she had been asked about extending due dates.
The city will not extend the due dates for those who arrive late.
“That would be opening a can of worms,” City Clerk Roxanne Hutton said.
She noted that the bills have notices posted on them every month — it’s been that way for 50 years or so — pointing out that the failure to receive the bill does not change the due date.
She encouraged residents to sign up for email notes through cityofiola.com.
The city also has an app for cell phone users to get notification issues, and an online portal is available to pay utility bills.
Rehder noted the issue has affected more than Iola. Humboldt customers also have had to wait longer than normal to get their bills in the mail.
