When you run a municipal department that collects public monies, efficiency is key. That being said, Cornwall-on-Hudson Water Superintendent Mike Trainor is – mostly – happy with the way a new utility billing system in the village has rolled out.

But, he needs help from residents when making their payments, to help realize the full impact of the system’s efficiency.

It was just on July 15 when his department, in conjunction with the Village Hall staff, began using a new system to send out water, sewer and garbage bills in CoH and water bills in Cornwall. The municipality is now using a service provided by Orange Bank & Trust to print the bills, stuff the envelopes and mail them to property owners and residents. Then, once received, bills are returned to the bank in a pre-addressed envelope and deposited into the village’s accounts.

Bills are sent bi-monthly, on the 15th of January, March, May, July, September and November. The first bills were sent out on July 15. Town and village residents are now billed on the same dates.

“Initially we were getting a lot of phone calls,” Trainor said this week, “which we fielded and answered individual questions. For instance, some people were concerned that we hadn’t received their previous payment (because the last bills had been sent out in June). The second most commonly asked question was just by CoH residents who wondered why the sanitation and sewer capital fees weren’t prorated since the new bills was only for 22 days, rather than the normal 60 days.

These fees, he explained, are annual fees that are split over the six bi-monthly bills issued during the course of the year. Under the new billing schedule, residents will still pay only six installments.

Trainor said he’s had some compliments on the new system too – some are pleased with the sealed envelope that arrives at their homes, as opposed to a postcard with the printed billing information visible. He said, too, that the postcards often got lost in the mail, and sealed business size envelopes are less likely to do so.

“We really think this new system allows us to better communicate with our customers,” he said. “There’s a little more clarity on the new bills as opposed to everything being crammed onto a postcard.

The bills mailed out on July 15 are due back on August 15, which means that many people are probably just now getting ready to mail them. He has a couple of tips that will make sure your bill is paid on time:

• When making a payment, include the payment coupon at the bottom of the bill. If you are paying multiple accounts with one check, please include all coupons. This coupon will allow staff to process your payment without delay and ensure accounts are credited appropriately.

• For those residents who use their bank’s Bill Pay system, be sure to review the submitted payment information to ensure that it includes the correct account number. This is especially important for our residents that originally opened their account prior to 2019 – the account numbers have changed.

• Finally, mail in payments using the enclosed self-addressed. This will ensure the most timely processing of your payment.
“We thank you for all of your patience and cooperation as we continue this transition,” Trainor said. “If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our billing clerk at 845-534-4200, ext. 250.”

A reminder: Bills not received on time have a five percent penalty added on to them. Bills which are not paid and have to be relevied onto property taxes have a $150 administrative fee added on.

The next bills will be mailed on September 15.

To sign up to go paperless, visit the village’s website at www.cornwall-on-hudson.org and click on ‘Pay my Utility Bill’. Even if you don’t plan to pay online (there is a fee associated with paying the bills there), you can review your account there and, via the ‘See my Water Consumption’ link you can sign up for alerts when there are concerns about your water usage, etc.

And a final note: there is a secure dropbox on side of Village Hall that can be used to pay utility bills – again, be sure to include the payment coupon from your bill.