Water billing concerns dominated Monday’s Collinsville City Council meeting, as several residents questioned unusually high utility bills and city officials discussed the status of a long-delayed smart meter installation project.
Denise Warner told council members that since moving to Collinsville in March 2025, her water bill, taxes and garbage expenses have all increased. In the last four months alone, her water bills have reached more than $400.
While the water fund is projected to generate millions of dollars for the city, Warner said she has seen little improvement in basic infrastructure, citing culverts that do not drain properly, flooding on her property and deteriorating streets.
“I don’t mind paying my taxes, I don’t mind paying these things, but I’m not visually seeing where this money is going,” she said.
Connie Bowman told the council that her latest water bill reflects what she considers a ”statistically impossible” spike in usage. Her average monthly consumption is typically about 4,200 gallons, but her recent utility statement showed 45,900 gallons.
“That’s a near 1,100 percent increase,” she said. “To put things into perspective, 45,900 gallons of water is enough to fill up a standard back yard swimming pool twice. No such pool exists on my property.”
Bowman said city utility personnel removed her original water meter base from the ground, preventing the equipment from being tested in its original condition. She argued that the removal undermined the ability to determine whether the meter had malfunctioned.
“The utility department disrupted the legal chain of custody because they removed the active components from my property line without an immediate certified reading on its active state,” she said. “They can’t prove that the 45,900 gallons of water spike was a result of a mechanic failure.”
Bowman asked the council to freeze her utility balance, formally designate her account as disputed, suspend late fees and ensure her water service would not be disconnected while the matter was investigated.
Her husband added that he was concerned no one at City Hall could explain the reported spike in water usage.
Smart meter installation remains unfinished
The billing concerns also brought renewed attention to the city’s remote-read cellular water meter program, launched several years ago to replace local meters with smart meters and software designed to improve tracking of water consumption and costs.
The city still has 280 meters left to install, but Public Works Director Gabriel Mason told the council that only 51 complete sets are available.
Finance Director Karla Young said the city has six months before the cellular service provider begins charging for meter readings. She did not include the project in the current budget because she did not want the city paying for a service it was not yet using.
“I thought that because this was implemented five or six years ago, there was a plan in place, and the funding in place, to get this to fruition,” Alderman Austin Lewter said. “I want a plan in place to get this to fruition. I want budget amendments, I want to move the money around and I want it done. Because a lot of these problems and concerns that we’re having tonight may have been avoided or caught earlier if we had.”
Mason said each meter takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes to install. Staffing shortages and work order demands have prevented the department from completing the remaining installations.
At the council’s direction, Mason agreed to make the project a priority. His team will spend the next two weeks installing as many meters as possible while continuing to address urgent water leaks.
City staff said they monitor water usage through the smart meter software and attempt to contact residents when unusual activity is detected. However, the city does not have accurate contact information for every resident. When usage appears abnormal, staff may also send a Public Works employee to investigate.
Officials acknowledged that the system does not currently send automatic alerts to the city. Instead, someone must actively check the software for unusual readings.
The council directed staff to determine whether the software can be configured to issue alerts. Officials also confirmed that residents can receive alerts through Ion Water if they sign up for the service.
Street changes tabled
In other business, the council agreed to permanently close the alley between 107 Stone Street and 201 Stone Street and release the property as allowed by law.
The council also tabled a proposal to establish one-way traffic on portions of Hughes and Collinsville streets.
The proposal would designate the 100 blocks of East Hughes Street and West Hughes Street as eastbound one-way streets and the portion of Collinsville Street between East Hughes Street and East Woodland Street as northbound one-way.
Resident Joe Woody expressed concerns about how the changes would affect traffic flow. Council members also maintained that Collinsville Street needed repairs before one-way traffic could be considered.
The city will contact the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to discuss the possibility of installing a four-way stop in the area. The one-way street proposal was tabled indefinitely.
The council also approved the city’s application for a Texas Community Development Block Grant to seek funding for road and water line improvements and authorize the city’s cost participation.
Additionally, the council approved closing portions of Main Street, Collinsville Street, East Hughes Street, Dewitt Street and other roads on Dec. 1 for the Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas on the Square event.
City Hall renovations prompt questions
A $175,000 City Hall renovation project prompted questions from council members because the work had begun without a prior agenda item specifically addressing the project.
The work includes replacing four wooden posts with metal posts, installing steel I-beams, replacing the sidewalk between the police department and Virginia Station, repairing crumbling stairs and cracked stucco, installing two rear doors and replacing City Hall’s front windows.
Officials said the project is being funded through Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) funds, which may be used for qualifying site improvements and infrastructure projects. The IDC determines whether a project meets its requirements.
If the project is included in the budget, its approval is addressed through the budget process and does not require a separate public hearing, officials explained.
Meanwhile, a Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) audit determined that city staff needed to be located outside the police department. As a result, the City Hall break room was moved into the police chief’s former office, and the former break room was converted into a police interview room.
That work was funded through the budgeted building maintenance fund.
In light of the City Hall renovations and an Economic Development Corporation (EDC) project involving a walking path at Old Depot Park, council members said they want more frequent updates from the EDC about projects of this nature, including when they are approved and when work is expected to move forward.
Council discusses employee evaluations
A discussion about employee performance reviews raised questions about when evaluations should occur and who should have access to them.
The council ultimately agreed that employee reviews should be conducted in April to allow time for the results to inform budget planning.
Aldermen Jessica Orsburn and Chris Black said they did not believe the full council needed to review employee evaluations unless a department head had an issue requiring council involvement. Lewter said he would like the evaluations included in council meeting packets.
The council also discussed performance evaluations for the City Manager. Because a city ordinance grants the City Administrator supervisory authority over all departments, the council sought legal advice during executive session.
Following the session, council members directed the City Attorney to return with a proposed policy for evaluating the City Administrator’s performance.
The council also appointed Jason Sinks to fill the seat vacated by Carl Lucas, who resigned last month.
The meeting adjourned at 10:11 p.m.