City officials discourage cash for paying utility bills

MOSES LAKE — On the day after Grant County PUD announced it was closing its facilities to public access, an elderly woman stood on the sidewalk outside the Moses Lake office of Grant PUD, cash in hand. She told a bystander she was trying to pay her bill, but with the office closed she couldn’t.

While she was on the phone to the PUD’s customer service line, another woman walked up, cash in hand, ready to pay her bill. Online bill pay was not an option for her, she said, and she was ready to pay but she couldn’t.

With widespread closures of public spaces, including many city halls in the Columbia Basin, people who normally pay their bill with cash may have to find other options.

Grant County PUD officials are asking customers who normally would pay with cash to buy a money order instead.

“We are not able to take cash payments at this time, so a money order would be what a cash payer would have to do for now,” Ryan Holterhoff, PUD Public Affairs, wrote.

As of Tuesday, city halls are closed in Moses Lake, Quincy, Mattawa, Royal City and Ephrata. Cities are handling utility payments in different ways.

Mattawa city officials will accept cash in payment for bills, either through the mail or in the drop box outside city hall, according to a post on the city’s social media. “You can drop off your payment in an envelope with an account number, address and phone number,” the post said.

Quincy city officials are encouraging people to use a money order to pay, receptionist Yoli Orozco said. Normally the city doesn’t take payments by phone, but it will while the office is closed to the public. Orozco added.

Moses Lake city officials are asking customers to pay by money order or check rather than cash. Customers also have the option of using the city’s online portal, or they can pay by phone. The city’s drop box is behind the city hall annex, 123 S. Balsam St.

Ephrata City Administrator Mike Warren said officials are discouraging cash payments.

Royal City officials also are asking customers to pay by money order, check or over the phone.