LONG BEACH — Water will not be shut off if people can’t pay their bills and they will not be charged late fees by the city.

At an emergency meeting on March 25, the Long Beach City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to pause penalties for late payment on water bills and postpone water disconnections for the time being.

The power to suspend water disconnections was granted to the city through its emergency declaration, which the council approved on March 16.

The city can also organize payment plans with customers if it is deemed appropriate.

It was the last in-person meeting for the city council after Gov. Jay Inslee suspended parts of Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act on March 24. The suspension was part of an order from the governor that banned local governments from holding in-person public meetings and taking any action that is not either needed, routine or related to covid-19.

Long Beach City Mayor Jerry Phillips acknowledged the economic hardship imposed by covid-19. The city is also experiencing an economic fallout and Phillips said he anticipates revenues in some funds to drop by 20-40%.

“Couple of funds looked really tight, bad,” Phillips said at the meeting.

The suspension of water disconnections will last as long as the city’s emergency declaration is still in place. After the declaration is lifted, the city will notify people of their account balances, date of potential disconnection and payment arrangement options. Regular billing procedures will resume on the first of the month after the declaration is lifted.

If people have any questions they can reach city hall at either 360-642-4421 or by email at administrator@longbeachwa.gov.