[Ord. No. 918 §2, 3-26-1984; Ord. No. 1191 §1, 9-6-1994; Ord.
No. 1352 §1, 4-10-2001; Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002]
A.
No
gas service shall hereafter be furnished any applicant and no gas
meter shall be installed and connected for any applicant until such
applicant for gas service shall first have paid a deposit in one (1)
of the following applicable amounts:
1.
Sixty-five dollars ($65.00) for an applicant who shall reside at
a dwelling unit, other than a mobile home, owned by such person; or
2.
One hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for an applicant who shall reside
in a mobile home or as a renter or tenant at any rental property,
or for any applicant for gas service to be provided to a business,
commercial, manufacturing or industrial facility; or
3.
One hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for an applicant for natural
gas service to be provided to premises to be occupied by such applicant
or by any other person to whom natural gas service has been discontinued
at any time within the preceding ten (10) years in the City of Hermann
because of delinquency or other violation of the provisions of this
Chapter or Code, regardless of the service or customer classification.
B.
Such deposit required hereby shall be paid to the City Collector and shall be retained in a separate account to insure payment of all charges for natural gas service to the customer's premises and for payment of other charges for utility provided to such premises as otherwise provided in this Code. Upon permanent discontinuance of natural gas service to the customer's premises, said deposit, less any amount then due the City of Hermann for gas service or other utility services, shall be refunded without interest, subject to the provisions of Section 700.020.
C.
No
new or additional deposit shall be required of any applicant for service
who:
1.
Requests a change of service from one (1) residence or facility to
another if such applicant is then in good standing in payment of all
utility accounts with the City and has either been previously exempted
from payment of deposit, has received a refund of such customer's
deposit previously paid for the same premises, or then has on deposit
with the City Collector a gas service deposit in the amount required
at the time of such applicant's initial connection; or
2.
Requests a new connection for natural gas service to the applicant's
residence for which the applicant's electric and water and sewer utility
accounts have been in good standing for an uninterrupted period of
at least twenty-four (24) months immediately preceding the date of
such application for natural gas service and has either been previously
exempted from payment of deposit, has received a refund of such customer's
deposit previously paid for the same premises, or then has on deposit
with the City Collector an electric service deposit in the amount
required at the time of such applicant's initial connection.
D.
The
City Collector shall receive all deposits required hereby and shall
issue a receipt for such deposit and shall apply and refund such deposit
as herein provided.
[1]
Editor's Note — Ord. no. 1374 §1, adopted on February 11, 2002, amended this chapter 725 in it's entirety. Sections 725.120 — 725.130 were left reserved and formerly derived from ord. no. 601 §3, 11-16-1970; ord. no. 918 §3, 3-26-1984; ord. no. 1191 §1, 9-6-1994; ord. no. 1343 §1, 9-11-2000; ord. no. 1352 §1, 4-10-2001.
[Ord. No. 601 §4, 11-16-1970; Ord. No. 1352 §1, 4-10-2001; Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002]
The gas service deposit shall remain with the City Collector
for a period of two (2) years and shall be returned after that time,
without interest, to the customer if then in good standing and such
customer makes application to the City Collector for refund.
[Ord. No. 601 §5, 11-16-1970; Ord. No. 1239 §1, 8-26-1996; Ord. No. 1352 §1, 4-10-2001; Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002; Ord. No. 1811 §3, 2-22-2010]
An account shall be considered delinquent after the fifteenth
(15th) day of the month immediately following the billing, unless
the fifteenth (15th) falls upon a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday
observed by the City, in which event the account shall become delinquent
after the next following business day.
[Ord. No. 601 §6, 11-16-1970; Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002]
Every customer whose natural gas bill has been paid in full
before becoming delinquent for four (4) or more consecutive billing
periods and to whose premises natural gas service has not been terminated
because of delinquency or violation of any other provision of this
Chapter or Code during the period of two (2) years prior to application
for refund.
[Ord. No. 601 §7, 11-16-1970; Ord. No. 1191 §1, 9-6-1994; Ord.
No. 1352 §1, 4-10-2001; Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002]
A.
Delinquent Accounts to Pay Penalty. All delinquent accounts
will be charged and the customer shall pay a ten percent (10%) penalty
on the total amount, including applicable taxes or surcharges. If
the bill and applicable penalty are not paid by the twentieth (20th)
day of the month, the City Collector shall notify the Natural Gas
Department Superintendent that the customer's account is delinquent
and the Superintendent shall terminate service to the premises as
provided in this Chapter.
B.
Delinquent Accounts to Pay Interest. All delinquent accounts
will be charged and the customer shall pay simple interest on the
unpaid portion of the account at the rate of one and one-half percent
(1½%) per month commencing thirty (30) days after the due date
of the account and continuing until the account, including late charges
and penalties, is paid in full.
[Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002; Ord.
No. 2211, 11-9-2020]
A.
If
a customer’s account is delinquent, the City Collector shall,
by the sixteenth (16th) day of the month, mail a notice of delinquency
to the customer’s last known address, by ordinary mail, first
class postage prepaid, which shall advise the customer of the delinquent
status and of the prospective termination of natural gas service if
the account balance and penalty are not paid in full by the twentieth
(20th) day of the month.
B.
If
the delinquent customer’s account balance and penalty are not
paid by the twentieth (20th) day of the month, the City Collector
shall notify the City Administrator and the Chief of Police that the
customer’s account is delinquent. The Gas Department shall then
terminate the natural gas service to such customer’s premises,
subject to the following procedures and restrictions:
1.
At least twenty-four (24) hours before the shut off, the City will
make reasonable efforts to contact the customer either in writing,
by posting a “door hanger” notice or making two (2) telephone
calls.
2.
On the day of the shutoff, the City shall make reasonable efforts
to contact the customer, provide identification, state the purpose
of the visit and post a notice that contains the address and telephone
number to contact to have the service restored.
3.
The Gas Department shall not disconnect the electric service of any
delinquent customer after 4:00 p.m.
4.
The Gas Department shall postpone a shut off for up to twenty-one
(21) days if the shut off would aggravate an existing medical emergency
of the customer, any member of the family of the customer or other
person who lives in the unit. The customer shall provide the City
with reasonable evidence of the necessity, such as a note from a medical
professional.
5.
The Gas Department shall not disconnect the residential gas service
of any delinquent customer on any day between November 1 and March
31 when the National Weather Service forecasts that the temperature
will drop below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (32° F.) during
the following twenty-four (24) hours.
[Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002; Ord. No. 1376 §1, 3-11-2002; Ord. No. 1378 §1, 4-8-2002]
In the event natural gas service is terminated because the customer's account is delinquent, service shall not be re-connected until such customer shall have first paid a re-connection fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) if re-connection is requested by the customer between 7:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. on a non-holiday weekday, or fifty dollars ($50.00) if requested at any other time, plus the total account balance, penalty, and interest (if any), plus a natural gas service deposit equal to one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the deposit provided in Section 725.110 for the second (2nd) termination of service for delinquency within any calendar year, and equal to one hundred forty percent (140%) of the deposit provided in said Section for the third (3rd) termination of service for delinquency within the same calendar year, and equal to one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the deposit provided in said Section for the fourth (4th) delinquency within the same calendar year and any subsequent termination of service for delinquency within the next twelve (12) months after the preceding termination. All such sums shall be paid in cash or by a cashier's check, certified check or money order. No personal checks will be accepted for restoration of service after any termination because of delinquency or violation by the user or customer of other rules provided in this Chapter.
[Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002]
The rule provided in this Article for deposits and termination
of service for delinquency in payment of accounts shall apply equally
to all residents of a household after service to such household has
been once terminated for non-payment, regardless of the identity of
the resident in whose name such service has been registered.
[Ord. No. 529 §7, 7-11-1966; Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002; Ord. No. 1819 §2, 5-10-2010]
Gas meters will be read at approximately thirty (30) day intervals.
Charges for gas service will be computed and billed on such intervals.
When the City is unable to have the meter read, the customer will
be billed for an estimated consumption based on the best information
available. The billing will be automatically adjusted at the next
regular meter reading. The customer will be billed separately for
gas purchased through each meter installed, unless multiple meters
are set by the City as an economical method to measure large volumes.
The amount of the monthly bill for any customer who has applied and
qualified for the City's level billing payment program shall be determined
accordingly.
[Ord. No. 1338 §1, 6-26-2000; Ord. No. 1343 §1, 9-11-2000; Ord. No. 1352 §1, 4-10-2001; Ord. No. 1374 §1, 2-11-2002; Ord. No. 1836 §2, 2-14-2011; Ord. No. 2087, 12-11-2017]
A.
Cost
For Natural Gas. All natural gas customers shall pay a certain rate
per c.c.f. for natural gas delivered to them, as shall be posted in
the offices of the City by the City Administrator on or before the
15th day of each calendar month. The City Administrator's determination
of such rate shall be made upon review of the wholesale expense for
natural gas to be distributed by the City after said date.
B.
Meter
Fee. In addition to the charge for natural gas delivered, as provided
above, all customers shall pay a meter fee of eight dollars fifty
cents ($8.50) per month. This monthly fee shall be increased by one
dollar ($1.00) every year for ten (10) years, commencing on January
15, 2019, and continuing until January 1, 2028, when the amount of
such fee shall be eighteen dollars fifty cents ($18.50).
