Terlaje: OAG, NMC, others made some payments on past due bills

Betty G. Terlaje

Several government agencies that that had been issued disconnection notices after failing to pay past due utility billings have made some partial payments, according to acting Commonwealth Utilities Corp. executive director Betty G. Terlaje on Monday.

Terlaje said in an interview that the Northern Marianas College and the Office of the Attorney General have made some payments to CUC. She said there are other offices that made some payments, but that she has no information yet because that’s what she’s going to verify that afternoon at a meeting with CUC accounting, which manages government accounts, specifically on the update of all these disconnection notices.

Terlaje said she will also meet with their team that’s doing the review and the work orders that were being sent out to verify the water and electric and who applied for that particular location.

With respect to the disconnection notice to the CNMI Judiciary, Terlaje said she has to verify if they made a partial payment.

Last May 3, CUC sent a disconnection notice to the Judiciary for unpaid $2.4-million utility services. The disconnection did not push through by the May 18, 2023, deadline after the Judiciary disputed the $1.6-million billing for the Guma’ Hustisia building on Saipan.

CNMI Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro and Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja recently informed Terlaje that the Judiciary has been incorrectly charged $774,636 for water and $905,548 for wastewater/sewer services from July 2022 to the present.

Terlaje said the Judiciary is contesting their water bill as they feel that it is too high. “So we have our engineer checking down there, their water setup and their water meter and making sure that it’s still functioning the way it needs to function,” she said.

Terlaje said they are waiting for the results of the work orders that they sent out to verify some of their meters if there’s leaks, or whatever other reasons they cited to dispute the billing.

In some cases, Terlaje said, the agencies are saying that that’s not their usage, that it’s not their account, or they already paid it a few years ago.

She said that CUC feels that their numbers are correct, but at the same time they take disputes seriously and look into it. Terlaje said they want to make sure that they can confirm with these agencies that it is their account, that the meters are working properly, based on the work orders and the field crew’s inspections or verifications.

“And then we sit down with them. The plan is to sit down with the agencies and go through the numbers with them,” said Terlaje, adding that those accounts that are not being contested should be paid for.

“And I believe that was made clear. And that is what we’re verifying—if how much payment has been made on all the accounts,” she added.