A local businesswoman is unhappy how the City of Humboldt handled an unpaid water bill.
Kathy Loessl, the owner of the Windsor Hotel, said she has been hit hard by COVID-19 with a steep drop in ATM, restaurant and rental revenue having an impact on her business and her mental health.
The City of Humboldt has not made it easier, she said, with threats to shut off her water at the end of April due to lack of payment.
Loessl has organized a payment plan through the city so this does not happen, but she said she doesn’t appreciate how it was handled.
A March 24 press release urging people to contact City Hall if having trouble paying went unnoticed by Loessl because she said she doesn’t pay attention to the channels the city uses to get out this information.
“They said they sent a media release. I don’t get the Journal, or listen to the television or the radio. If they would have said something in the last bill that everyone got, I’m sure I’m not the only one that missed it.”
Speaking with the city employee that delivered the notice, Loessl said she knows that she was not the only one that received a water shut off notice, which is sad to see during a pandemic.
“At this time, they’re saying on their Facebook how we have to stick together and support local businesses while they’re threatening to turn my water off. The way they handled it irked me. Any other time, I’d say okay, but not with this pandemic and everything going on.”
Only two things are keeping her going right now, she said, seven rentals and permission from the SLGA to sell offsale alcohol. She is able to make the payments but if things ever changed and her water was shut off to her building, she would have to shut down completely.
Loessl spent two weeks in isolation and was eventually tested for COVID-19, she said, and is doing everything by herself at the Windsor. Everything is piling up, with only one staff member who is working minimal hours and health issues besides COVID-19 that are making things even more difficult.
After she commented on a City of Humboldt Facebook post, she was instructed by the city to go online for assistance before the city contacted her to set up a plan for paying her water bill. Either way, it has been difficult for Loessl, she said.
According to a previous Humboldt Journal article, the city will continue charging residents for their utility bills but say that anyone having trouble paying should call the city.
In an email from Mayor Rob Muench, he said the city will be discussing what else can be done for businesses and residents during the next city council meeting on April 27.
The Town of Nipawin has deferred utility bills until Sept. 27 and is cancelling its 2.94 per cent property tax increase for this year. The Town of Nokomis has cancelled six months of utility bills for their residents.
