[CC 1983 §110.100; Ord. No. 407 §110.100, 8-2-1990; Ord. No. 94-51 §4, 10-20-1994; Ord. No. 00-16, 8-17-2000; Ord. No. 06-06, 3-2-2006; Ord. No. 08-35, 9-18-2008]
A. The
City shall render to each utility customer a bill for his/her utility
service monthly.
1. Each customer shall monthly be billed for all utility services, in
writing. Such written billing shall be mailed the last working day
of each month. Such written billing shall include the following information:
a. A clear statement that the utility services will be terminated for
non-payment of the bill if not made by a certain date.
b. A customer may complain about his/her utility bill and resolve any
disputes that might exist as to whether or not the charges have been
figured accurately or the customer did in fact use the indicated amount
of utility service.
c. The City Clerk shall be empowered to address any complaints, and
to make such adjustments as are warranted by the evidence presented,
as to whether or not the utility billing is accurate, but may not
make any adjustments for any other reason.
2. The utility bill as presented shall provide the net service charge
figured by the applicable rates. The gross service charge shall be
the net rate with an addendum of ten percent (10%) after the fifteenth
(15th) of the month.
a. If the service charge is paid on or before the due date, the amount
due shall be the "net" amount.
b. If the amount of the bill is not paid in full by the due date, the
"gross" amount shall be due and payable.
This ten percent (10%) differential shall not be a penalty for
non-payment, but shall consist of a discount for prompt payment. That
the City chooses to structure its rates based upon a calculation of
the "net amounts" shall in no way affect this principal.
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3. Any person who does not pay their utility service charges by the
fifteenth (15th) of the month shall be assessed a ten percent (10%)
penalty, and in every case where such bill is not paid by the fifth
(5th) of the following month, the water shall be turned off and a
charge of forty-five dollars ($45.00) for disconnection and reconnection
of said water and all arrearages must be paid before the water will
be turned on again. If the service is turned on after normal business
hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.), the fee increases
to fifty-seven dollars fifty cents ($57.50).
[Ord. No. 17-09, 2-16-2017]
4. Any person who signs up for automatic pay, utility charges shall
be taken from the customer's bank account on the tenth (10th) day
of each month. This is done prior to the due date on the fifteenth
(15th) day of each month to allow time for the bank to notify the
City of any problems.
5. Service charge. There shall be a fifteen dollar
($15.00) service charge for any check or Automatic Clearing House
(ACH), automatic debit, payment that is returned insufficient or no
account.
[CC 1983 §110.110; Ord. No. 407 §110.110, 8-2-1990]
A. Any
or all utility services may be discontinued without notice to the
customer, for the following reasons:
1. For failure to pay utility service charges.
2. Upon the discovery of any unauthorized connections or diversions
of utility service beyond any meter.
[CC 1983 §110.120; Ord. No. 407 §110.120, 8-2-1990]
All bills for service charges furnished by the City may be estimated,
when by reason of defect in or failure to read the appropriate meter
or for any other reason, the monthly bill of the user or customer
cannot be accurately determined. The City shall make such estimate,
considering the average consumption of the user over the previous
three (3) months' period, considering the relative use of such utility
service within the City as a whole for the period of time in question,
and considering such other factors as the City Clerk may deem appropriate.
Such estimated bills shall be due and payable as are all other bills
rendered under this Chapter.
[CC 1983 §110.130; Ord. No. 407 §110.130, 8-2-1990]
Any person who, by reason of financial or other hardship, is
unable to pay any utility bill prior to the termination date, may
be granted by the City Clerk such additional period as the Clerk may
deem appropriate in which to pay his/her delinquent account, provided
that the Clerk may not grant to any customer the right to pay a utility
bill past the date when the next month's utility bill would be presented
to said customer, unless a payment plan agreement has been issued.
[CC 1983 §110.150; Ord. No. 407 §110.150, 8-2-1990]
Upon violation by a user of any of the rules and regulations
adopted and imposed by this Chapter, the user shall be informed in
writing of the particular violations and that service shall be terminated
if the circumstances constituting the violation are not rectified
to the satisfaction of the City within fifteen (15) days; and that
the user, within the fifteen (15)-day period, may meet with the Mayor,
or an employee so designated by the Mayor during regular business
hours of the City if the user believes the charges are erroneous or
incorrect. The Mayor or his/her designated employee shall be empowered
to require compliance by the user with all the rules and regulations
adopted and imposed by this Chapter, and may require the user to reasonably
demonstrate such compliance to stay the order of disconnection at
the end of the fifteen (15) day period. If the user does not comply
with the rules and regulations of this Chapter within the fifteen
(15) day period, the service shall be disconnected and the user informed
in writing that service will be reconnected upon demonstration to
the satisfaction of the Mayor or his/her designated employee that
the user has complied with the rules and regulations of this Chapter,
and upon payment by the user of the ten dollars ($10.00) reconnection/disconnect
fee; provided that where dishonest or unauthorized water piping shall
be found, the City may terminate the appropriate utility service immediately
and the City shall notify such person that the service will be reconnected
upon rectification of the circumstances causing the disconnection
to the satisfaction of the Mayor, or his/her designated employee,
provided further, that when any person after prior notice and a prior
opportunity for hearing consistent with the provisions of this Section,
has been denied service and is still owing the City, moves into a
building or dwelling connected with water, the service shall be cut
off immediately, and the City shall notify such person that service
will be reconnected upon the payment of the amount due and a ten dollar
($10.00) reconnection/disconnect charge.