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Laura Michaels
Make bill paying fun
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May 28, 2009 | 04:21 AM
Well, maybe fun is the wrong word but it got you to keep reading.
It's been three months since a previously unknown company called Zumbox was introduced to the New Lenox community and a lot has happened in those three months. Most notably, the New Lenox Village Board voted last week to begin sending out their water and sewer bills paperlessly to residents through Zumbox. In the long run, Village officials hope to save taxpayers money by reducing the Village's paper, printing and postage costs when they start allowing residents to opt out of receiving the paper bills.
Right there is a key point. Even though you as residents will start receiving your water and sewer bills via Zumbox in June (if you've signed up for Zumbox, of course), you won't be able to select the "Do Not Papermail" option for awhile, just in case there are any electronic delivery kinks to work out. So don't fret, you'll still get your paper bill in the mail. And if down the road you decide you still want the paper version, the Village will keep sending it that way.
I've gotten a few e-mails from residents and a comment or two has been made on The Patriot's Web site asking why the Village doesn't just e-mail the water and sewer bills instead of going through Zumbox. The answer, as it's been explained to me, is pretty simple. The Village doesn't have access to every residents' e-mail address. It does, however, already have a list of addresses for every resident in New Lenox. And because Zumbox is an online postal system, it works from physical addresses, not e-mail inboxes, thus allowing the Village to send the bills to each household. The paperless mailing of your water and sewer bills has the potential to save the Village and taxpayers thousands of dollars, not to mention the environmental benefits of lessening New Lenox's paper usage.
Zumbox is also completely free for the Village — and any other municipality — to use. The Township has sent a few flyers out through Zumbox regarding their rain barrels and compost bins, as well as a reminder about the annual clean-up day earlier this month. The New Lenox Public Library is also using Zumbox to send out information about events and programs.
If you haven't already signed up for Zumbox or at least checked it out at www.zumbox.com, it's worth taking a look. To sign up (it's free) you just register your address and then you'll receive a secure PIN code in the mail to activate your Zumbox.
If you've got questions about the Village's use of Zumbox, give the Village Hall a call at (815) 462-6400. Or contact me via e-mail at l.michaels@newlenoxpatriot.com or call me at (708) 326-9170 ext. 19.
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