(A) Unusual circumstances. The City Manager or his or her designee is authorized under unusual and/or special circumstances, non-reoccurring and rare in nature, to provide reasonable adjustments based upon such mitigating conditions which appear to require such adjustment to a utility bill. The burden of proof shall rest with the customer and there is absolutely no obligation on the city to provide any such adjustment. The City Manager or his or her designee shall maintain a file of any such adjustments granted under this policy for review by the Ashland Board of City Commissioners.
(B) High usage adjustments.
(1) An adjustment may be made to individual residential and commercial (not industrial) water billings if a high usage occurs which causes volume to exceed 200% of the average usage during the previous 12 months. An adjustment may be made for any amount over the 200% of the average bill, however, no bill so adjusted shall be reduced to less than 3,000 gallons. The city may determine to extend this adjustment to more than one billing if it appears to be part of the same occasion.
(2) This adjustment may only be granted once every five years to the same household which shall include husband and wife as if they had each received an adjustment. No additional adjustment during this five-year period shall be made when the city determines that the customer of record was changed while a previous adjustee still resides at the same location.
(3) If the adjustment involves rental property, the adjustment shall be recorded against the rental unit for the five-year period rather than the landlord's name. At the same time, the renter's name shall be listed as a customer of record who received an adjustment.
(4) Any adjustment under this policy requires the approval of the Finance Director or his or her appointee.
(C) Pool filling adjustment. Where no pool water drains to the sanitary sewer, one annual adjustment for permanent in-ground and/or above ground pools may be made to sewer billing only following prior arrangement with the city.
(D) Sewer leak adjustment. An adjustment may be made to the sewer billing if a leak occurs which does not send water to the sanitary and/or combination sewer. The sewer portion of the bill will be adjusted to the customer's average bill.
(Ord. 36, 2023, passed 3-24-23)