Town of Orleans Residents Not Getting Water Bills In Timely Matter

(ORLEANS) – The Town of Orleans is experiencing on-going difficulties with the mailing and processing of the town’s some 900 water utilities bills.

Orleans Town Clerk Robert Henderson

According to Orleans Town Clerk Robert Henderson, this is a re-occurring problem that stems from the bills being prepared and mailed according to USPS guidelines and forwarded from the Orleans Post Office to the Indianapolis distribution center for processing.

The bills are expected to be returned in the same mail container that they were sent to Indianapolis in and then returned to the Orleans Post Office the next day for delivery.

Henderson said unfortunately that the bills are not being returned in a timely manner which has now become problematic for both the Town and residents.

At times it is taking sometimes up to two solid weeks before all of the bills come back to Orleans, he added.

Other town clerks are facing similar issues and frustrating customers.

Recently the Town of Oolitic made headlines when the town’s water bills went missing in the mail for a month or more before they were found and processed.

“The problem rests solely with whatever is taking place in the distribution center in Indianapolis where the mail is being trucked up for processing and not at the local level,” Henderson said.

Henderson has filed a formal letter of complaint with postal authorities and has also sought assistance from Congressman Trey Hollingsworth’s Jeffersonville Office requesting that they look into the matter.

“Our admiration and respect for the Orleans Post Office and its staff are second to none. Again, this is not anything occurring on the local level,” he added.

Those with questions about their water bill are asked to please contact the Orleans Town Offices direct either in person during regular business hours M-F or by calling (812) 865-9930.