Sublette switches to new online billing software

BY TONJA GREENFIELD, General Manager
Posted 2/9/20

SUBLETTE — The Village of Sublette approved a motion to change to a new billing software for its water bills.

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Sublette switches to new online billing software

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SUBLETTE — The Village of Sublette approved a motion to change to a new billing software for its water bills.

The board met during its regular monthly meeting on Monday night in the Ellice Dinges Center. All board members were present.

In January, Acting Village Mayor John Stenzel introduced the board to UBMax, an online utility management software, for water bills. He said with this software residents could look up their bills, review their history and pay their bills online. 

At Monday night’s meeting, Stenzel reviewed the costs of the software with the board. He said the total cost for the first year would be $1,425, which would include a $865 one-time fee and a $50 conversion to the new software fee. After the first year, Stenzel said the cost to the village would be $510 annually. He said the current software the village is using costs them $758. Stenzel said his goal is to have it up and running by the next fiscal year. He added that if the conversion from the old software wouldn’t take a long time, saying if they started using the software on a Friday, everything would be transferred over to the new software by Monday. He said that customers opting for having bills emailed would save the village postage and envelopes expenses.

Sublette Village Board member Julie Kessel made a motion to approve the switch to the UBMax software with Sublette Village Board member Scott Hanson seconding the motion. The motion was approved 6-0.

In other board news:

• Based on the consensus from the board at Monday’s meeting, Stenzel will have the village attorney draft a resolution to be voted on in March, stating that the village will not allow the sale of cannabis in the village.

• Don Dinges reported that work on the upcoming Sublette Toy Show is going well. The dates of the show this year are March 14 and 15. He said they are working on the details of the dinner during the toy show. Tickets are $20 each. For the toy show, Dinges said they are not doing a silent auction this year, so instead he has been approaching businesses about being corporate sponsors. 

• Dinges also reported that the Sublette Business Association is looking to host an event in June welcoming back the campers. He said it’s about the 60th year of the first campground in the area. He said the first campground was Pleasure Acres, which is now Mendota Hills Campground.

• The board approved the purchase of a chlorine bulk tank and containment tank for $330 from Hawkins. The board also approved the purchase of a pallet fork safety platform for the tractor in the amount of $200 from Jayson Stamberger. 

Finally, the board approved the purchase of two 12-foot stainless steel sheets cut and bent for the maintenance building benches at a cost of $150 from American Machine.

• The board is looking at moving its July meeting from July 13th, due to Grace Fellowship Church using the Ellice Dinges Center for its vacation bible school. No new date for the July meeting was set.

• Stenzel gave an update from IDOT that it will be three years before Route 52 is resurfaced. He said he was drafting a letter to IDOT to inform them that three years out is too long.

• Upcoming events: 

Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m., the free showing of the moving SILO at the Sublette Community Building, 103 S. John St., Sublette. This event is free and open to the public. Free popcorn and refreshments will be provided.  Inspired by true events, SILO follows a harrowing day in an American farm town. 

Disaster strikes when teenager Cody Rose is entrapped in a 50-foot-tall grain bin. When the corn turns to quicksand, family, neighbors and first responders must put aside their differences to rescue Cody from drowning in the crop that has sustained their community for generations. This event is brought to you by Sublette Farmers Elevator, CoBank, Sublette 365, Pioneer State Bank & Sublette Fire Department.

Sunday, March 8, at 3 p.m., the free showing of the documentary All The Queens Horses at the Ellice Dinges Center. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. How could one woman steal $53 million without anyone noticing? As city comptroller of Dixon, Rita Crundwell stole $53 million of public funds across 20 years––making her the perpetrator of the largest case of municipal fraud in American history. She used the funds to build one of the nation’s leading quarter horse breeding empires, all while forcing staff cuts, police budget slashing, and neglect of public infrastructure. All The Queens Horses investigates her crime, her lavish lifestyle and the small town she left in her wake.

March 14 and 15 is the 38th Annual Sublette Farm Toy and Antique Tractor Show featuring International.

Saturday, April 18 is the village’s annual Clean-Up Day. More details to come.

The next village board meeting will be held at 7 p.m., on Monday, March 9, in the Ellice Dinges Center.