During Tuesday evening’s Harriman City Council meeting, the council voted to move forward with soliciting bids from collection agencies to review and potentially collect outstanding debts owed to the Harriman City Court system from the past several years.

Two weeks earlier, the council had discussed the issue and decided against pursuing debts older than roughly two years. Initially, the plan considered going back as far as 12 years, but Mayor Best noted that many of those individuals may have moved away or even passed away in the intervening time. The council ultimately agreed to limit collection efforts to debts no more than about two years old, focusing on individuals who are still likely to be in the area.

At their next meeting in December, the council will review the bids and select a collection agency to contract with for these efforts.

Residents who believe they may still have unpaid court fees or fines with the Harriman City Court are encouraged to settle them now, before additional collection agency fees are added.