Still facing issues stemming from December’s ransomware attack, the city of Tomball extended the due date for December utility bills to March 17, according to a Feb. 15 news release.

“Currently, only the credit card payment system and customer online portal remain down,” Assistant City Manager Jessica Rogers said via email. “Our customer account database and billing system has been restored.”

Because the city cannot accept credit cards or online payments at this time, residents are being instructed to pay with either cash, cashier’s checks, money orders or personal checks in person at City Hall. Locals can also pay their December bills via the night dropbox or email, according to the news release.

Rogers said the city does not yet have an exact date as to when the system will be restored to normal operations.

“We have made restoring utility billing operations a high priority,” Rogers said. “Because there are lots of moving parts and integrated systems, we are slowly and methodically working through that process to ensure that this process is smooth for residents.”

Meanwhile, payments made before Dec. 20 have been recorded and applied to the respective accounts, and residents who partially paid their December utility bills will not be charged a late fee if they pay the remaining balance by the new deadline of March 17, according to the news release.

With regard to the ransomware attack, Rogers said the city has made “tremendous progress in restoring systems and programs.”

“At this time, only a few systems are remaining to be restored and verified,” Rogers said. “We are very appreciative of all of the patience and support our community has shown as we work through this process.”