ELKINS — Elkins city officials are warning of a “water shutoff scam” targeting local residents.

The scam involves “imposters knocking on doors, claiming to represent the city’s water utility, and demanding immediate in-person payment to avoid shutoffs,” a Tuesday City of Elkins press release states. “The city has received reports of two such incidents, and police are investigating.”

City employees do not contact residents in such a way, said Dan Stemple, a clerk in the city’s Utility Billing Department.

“If your account is overdue, you’ll receive a notice in the mail, then an automated phone call,” Stemple said. “If we don’t have your phone number, we’ll leave a tag on the front door of the property. No city employees ever visit you in person or call you to demand payment.”

If city employees ever need to visit a property, to access a water meter or perform other work, they will be easily identifiable, the release states.

“Any city employees doing that kind of work would be in uniform and driving a clearly marked city vehicle,” Stemple said. “If you have the slightest concern about whether you are talking to a genuine city employee, you can also call to doublecheck.”

Elkins officials stress that if you are contacted by anyone asking for money on behalf of the city, please call 911. To ask questions about this or any other utilities-related matter, please contact the Utility Billing Department by sending email to cdolly@cityofelkinswv.com or dstemple@cityofelkinswv.com; or call 304-636-1414, ext. 1720 or 304-636-1414, ext. 1715

•••

Elkins officials also announced Tuesday that the city hall parking lot will be closed to public parking indefinitely, starting Tuesday evening. The contractor for the city hall parking lot project is breaking ground today and the lot will be fenced off until the project is complete. Work is projected to continue through the summer.

Other than the two handicapped sites immediately adjacent to Fourth Street, there will be no public parking in the city hall lot while work is underway, officials said. The paved parking areas will be by permit only.

Courtesy of the Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad, alternative parking is available for June only in the unpaved lot at the southwest corner of Railroad Avenue and Fourth Street, catty-corner to the city hall parking lot.

The 15-minute parking zone in front of city hall will remain open as usual.

“The goal of the city hall parking lot project is to provide both city employees and the public with a modern, paved, well-lit, aesthetically pleasing parking lot,” a Tuesday City of Elkins press release states.