The Columbia Falls City Council unanimously authorized full refunds Tuesday for two customers who were overcharged due to city billing errors and directed staff to return with a proposed city‑code change to clarify how far back adjustments should go.

City staff told the council they had identified two separate errors: a 10‑year apartment meter misassignment that resulted in about $900 in overcharges and a commercial account whose billing rate had been entered at the wrong scale, producing roughly $4,000 in excess charges. “We’re recommending that we fully refund that resident’s water bill for the 10 years,” staff said during the presentation, and asked the council to authorize full refunds for both accounts.

Staff said the current practice was unclear and difficult to defend, and proposed drafting a code amendment to set a typical look‑back period in the 2–3 year range, with a process to approve exceptions administratively. Staff noted that state law limits retroactive billing to recover undercharges to six months, but said the city should be more generous in returning money when the city is at fault.

Councilors asked about internal controls and how the meter mix‑up could have persisted. Staff described a new requirement that account setups be reviewed by a second employee and said the utility department will add a customer‑facing module so residents can inspect historical usage online. The city also uses a work‑order system (Dude Solutions) to track customer complaints and on‑site checks; staff said those tools will improve detection of future errors.

A council motion to authorize full refunds for the two billing errors was made, seconded and carried by unanimous voice vote. Staff said it will bring a draft ordinance to set the look‑back period and exceptions to a future council meeting.

The action represents the council distinguishing between discussion (policy concerns and internal controls), direction (staff to draft a code change), and formal action (unanimous authorization of refunds).