SAULT STE. MARIE -- PUC bills will be noticeably smaller for the months of April and May.
Sault Ste. Marie's city council has suspended the city's sewer surcharge for residents, saving households $22 to $25 dollars a month off their utility bills.
"This was about helping the community, obviously, but suspending the surcharge really helps businesses in the city," said Rick Niro, city councillor.
"It's because they already have businesses that are not operating, they have rents to pay, they have all kinds of insurance costs."
Niro moved the motion forward as a way of helping Sault residents during the pandemic, without further chipping away from the 2021 budget.
"We can extend this surcharge if we absolutely have to, in order to keep giving them that break," said Niro.
"But at some point, we are going to have to face the liability of getting that money back."
The city owned utility company says it has already made the adjustments for bills going out this week.
"We were given a bit of a heads up and were able to get the ball rolling on that," said Robert Brewer, PUC President and CEO.
"We certainly welcomed it, anything the city can do to help the community right now is a good thing."
The PUC has already waived its disconnection ban, all the way to July 31, for those who can't afford to pay their bills.
"That's so nobody is without power during the pandemic," said Brewer.
The company is also offering financial flexibility for all of its customers.
"They can reach out to us and we're there to provide extended credit terms, payment plans," he added.
"Late payment fees have also been waived, while were waiving interest charges we're appropriate."
Brewer says the PUC is moving into non-financial methods to aid the city during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Right now, staff are making masks to be donated to the hospital.
