City officials are changing the city code on utility service billing which may result in lower rates for some residents. Some provisions of the code have not been touched in 20 years and city officials say the old language did not meet state health and safety codes. Shelle Smallwood, Utilities Department billing manager, told members of the city’s Law and Legislation committee Tuesday that the changes reflect updates that are consistent with current city practices and with the state code. Ot... mcorker Lee Middleton comment-60272 2011-11-16T22:51:34Z 2011-11-16T22:51:34Z And for more than 20 years the Department of Utilities continues to charge many ratepayers a storm drainage fee of which the city does not provide. In many neighborhoods the lack of storm drainage often results in street and property flooding. It would be a good “practice” for the DOU to change their conscious neglect and discontinue billing for a city required service that is not being rendered, or address the storm drainage neglect by constructing permanent storm drainage in neighborhoods that have been without this service. Sacramento City Auditor, Jorge Osequera, when asked by the Sacramento Utility Committee for his opinion on this matter stated, “There is an area of risk where we are potentially billing for a service that isn’t being received. Just as if we were providing a service and we weren’t billing for it.” Lee Middleton 2011-11-16T22:51:34Z