"This is kind of two-fold," said Maureen Noble, corporate services manager for the Town of Cochrane.
The application form to participate in the new system went out with this month’s mailing, and Noble said the Town expects to start getting responses this week.
"We have had several requests for this so I think we will have good response," she said.
The Town is making sure to note that because the Internet does not reach 100 per cent of the population that the new service being offered is only voluntary, not mandatory.
Those wishing to continue receiving their bills in the current format don’t need to respond at all.
Noble said the new format will involve credit card payment and "will be a pretty simple procedure."
And, although it has been talked about a lot in recent years, this is still not related to paying bills online, only receiving bills.
"We’ve had a few system changes so we’ve had to go back and look at it all again, Noble said of plans to introduce online bill payments.
First touted in 2001, and then reported to be very, very close in 2003, Noble said the new target date to offer people the opportunity to pay bills online will come this fall.
"The online payment of bills will be with our eGovernment Services in September," she said.
Those with questions about receiving their utility bills online can call the Town utility department at 851-2523 or 851-2521.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Darryl Mills
Quelle/Source: Cochrane Times, 19.07.2006
