This review pertains to the Utilities Department located within the Village of Palm Springs (not the recreational center as Yelp seems to automatically assume).
I was looking to relocate from an unincorporated area of Palm Beach County into Palm Springs. Since the apartment I rent is located within city limits, my lease stipulates that water service must be connected and provided by them.
In November of 2016 after signing a lease for a 1 bed/1 bath, I headed over to Palm Springs Utilities. When I walked in the door, I immediately sat down with a lady behind the glass counter. As annoyed as she looked, she made a copy of the paperwork I handed her and proceeded to process my application that I had obtained through their website.
After sitting there for quite some time, I noticed a bunch of people started gathering inside the office. It was only me and one other person around 2:30 P.M. in the afternoon prior. As I was getting near finishing connecting the water, the place became standing room only. A lot of people that were there had nothing but a variety of issues spanning from reconnecting services to payment problems.
Once everything was said and done, I was charged $160.00. My jaw almost dropped to the ground, even though $150.00 of that is refundable upon moving out. Why, may I ask, is it so much money? $10.00 was for water/sewage I never used.
After hastily paying the bill, I moved into my apartment. About one month later, I receive a statement from them in the mail. I used 2,000 gallons of water and was charged $42.64.
Wow. Considering I work five days a week and live alone, where is all of this water going? Leaky pipes? I'm very careful when it comes to preserving resources. I take quick showers, turn the faucets off while brushing my teeth/shaving, and only flush when it's absolutely necessary.
As of late-2017, the city imposed a raise in services. It is now $44.56 for 2,000 gallons. Somebody in their infinite wisdom decided it wasn't enough and tacked on an additional $1.92/month.
Not only is the city guilty of ripping people off, but they have outrageous penalties. If you do not pay your bill by 5:00 P.M. on the 8th of every month, they charge you a $15.00 late fee. If a check bounces, it's $25.00. If they have to verify a meter reading, it's $30.00. When service is disconnected, they charge $60.00 for reactivation. And, if the meter has been tampered with that wasn't directly your fault, they assess additional fees.
This actually makes me long for the days of when water/sewer was provided through the County. They were relatively cheap and easy to work with if there was a problem.
The Village of Palm Springs is a prime example of poor municipality. read more