HomeMy WebLinkAbout1974 11-12 Clerical error cost 3M $5,375 penalty DISPATCH LIer ccjl error cost
3M $5,375 penalty
A clerical error cost 3M She urged the council to
Co. $5,375, according to revise the ordinance, per-
Richard Dunigan,supervi- haps by putting a maxi-
sor of the accounts pay- mum limit on the penalty.
able department. The city has justifica-
THAT'S THE amount of tion for a charge that cov-
the penalty for a $53,750 ers the cost of handling a
sewer bill paid four days late payment, she said,
late to City of Maplewood. but little more.
The city adds 10 per "We're not asking that
cent to late payments. we get out of the penal-
Dunigan was among 3M ty," Miss Flesch said.
officials who appealed to "We're willing to pay. But
the city council last week we just ask that it be rea-
to forgive the penalty. sonable."
But the council denied the The council later direct-
request,4-1. ed t h e administrative
Dunigan said a clerk staff to study the ordi-
had wrongly coded the nance. I I _ at - igtj 4
June 28 due date of the
bill. Instead. it was paid
July 2.
"When you pay $175,000
bills each month," Duni-
gan said, "you are going
to blow a few. That's what
happened. It was a simple
clerical mistake."
MEANWHILE 3M at-
torney Claudia Flesch
argued that the penalty
imposed under Maple-
wood ordinance was "so
unreasonable itcannot be
enforced.'1S�1ae .