(A) (1) Applicants for Bethany utility services, transfer of utility service or where any premises has had utility service discontinued so as to render the application for the reinstatement of utility service necessary, are hereby required to make a cash deposit to the city.
(2) The deposit for commercial accounts shall be based on two times the average total monthly bill for the past two years for the services. For new commercial accounts with no billing history the deposit shall be based upon the average usage for similar sized comparable businesses taking into account the size of the water meter serving the property. For purposes of this section, COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT shall mean: commercial businesses, industrial uses, institutional uses, and any other uses other than one- and two- family residential.
(3) The deposit for non-commercial utility accounts shall be:
(a) $80 for resident homeowner accounts; and
(b) $120 for non-owners of property accounts.
(B) (1) There is hereby created and established the utility service deposit account into which there shall be deposited all utility deposits required to be made by utility customers and users.
(2) The account shall be disbursed and used first, where utility service has been discontinued on the premises, or where the customer has removed from the premises on which the deposit was made, by applying the deposit in payment of any unpaid balance owing to the city for utility services and charges, at the time of the discontinuance or removal.
(3) Second, the balance of the deposit, if any, shall be refunded to the party in whose name the deposit was made.
(4) Upon written request of the depositor the utility deposit will be refunded after 36 months of good credit with the city. The refund will be credited to the utility account as a payment. If an account is closed, the deposit will be applied to the final bill. Any credit balance will be mailed.
(Ord. 1916, passed 7-5-16; Am. Ord. 1925, passed 12-20-16)