By Jessica Tuggle
jtuggle@hometownnewsol.com
SEBASTIAN -- Payment for some city services can soon be paid for with the swipe of a plastic card.
During the Jan. 23 Sebastian City Council meeting, City Manager Al Minner announced an outside company will bring the credit card payment service option for the first time in the city's history.
The exact date for the credit card processing services to begin was not available at press time, but is expected to be sometimes in February, city staff said.
Currently, the city services are paid for on a cash basis, Mr. Minner said.
When people come to city hall to purchase a cemetery plot, building permits, or other city services, they will soon have the option to pay with a credit card and incur a small convenience fee of $2.95, said Ken Kilgore, city finance director.
Some small services, such as garage sale permits, probably wouldn't be worth using credit cards, because they are already such a nominal fee, he said.
Garage sale permits are only $2, so unless a customer was desperately in need of using a credit card, adding the $2.95 convenience fee would probably not be desired.
The more expensive permits, in particular the building permits, are something citizens have been asking for and the convenience fee might be worth it to some, Mr. Kilgore said.
The third-party credit card processing provider selected by the city, Point & Pay LLC, is used by other local governments in Brevard County. While the city will not be charged for the machinery and training on the system, customers will be charged a convenience fee of $2.95 for the first $100 payment, and $2 for every $100 increment after that, a city memo said.
The credit card option will only be available at the main cashier's office, not online. It is possible that in the future, the payment option will be available online.
For more information about the city, visit www.cityofsebastian.org.