JASPER, Tenn. - Residents in Jasper will soon have the option to pay their city bills online.
At its April meeting, the Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously to enter a contract with Business Information Systems in Piney Flats, Tenn., to provide the online bill-pay service as long as some minor changes are approved.
"We had discussed this a few months back, and we're to the point that if [the board] is comfortable with this that I recommend we go with it," Mayor Paul Evans said.
He said nearby Dunlap, Tenn., has offered online bill payment for years.
"They love it," Evans said. "It's made a big difference. It has cut down the traffic in their office, and more people are using online bill paying these days."
After reviewing the proposed contract, City Attorney Mark Raines requested several minor changes concerning any litigation stemming from the service and "a couple of other things."
"It's not anything big or major, but we are waiting to hear back [from the company] to see if they're agreeable to making those changes," he said.
If the modifications are approved, Raines said the contract is "ready to be executed and put in place at Town Hall."
One reason officials are pushing for the service is a situation that arose recently when at least one resident attempted to pay her water bill through a third party based in the state of Washington.
"That [company] is not affiliated with the town of Jasper," Raines said. "The money got sent in late, and it wasn't basically designated for the person's account. The person got into some issues about their water service."
The resident who used the unapproved service had her water shut off because the payments got behind by three months.
Evans said that situation has been fixed now.
"Hopefully, this will resolve that," Raines said. "Once we get this set up, [the vendor] is going to put in an online presence that is affiliated with the town."
"We probably should have done this years ago," Alderman Paul West said.
The online option should be ready by June 1.
"I think it's going to make a big difference," Evans said. "A lot of people have been asking for us to do this for a long time. I know our residents are going to be happy."
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.