(A) Due date. The meters will be read by the village on or about the last day of each month. If weather conditions or other circumstances prevent the reading of meters then each water bill will be estimated by the village. Bills will be mailed out by the twentieth day of each month and due on the fifth of the following month. Bills will be paid to the Treasurer of the village or his or her designated representative. Any customer who disputes the correctness of his or her bill may contact the village to discuss the charges for clarification. The customer may then contact the Village Mayor and request a hearing. The customer must submit his contentions or complaint in writing. The haring must be held within 21 days after the bill was mailed. The Village Mayor is authorized to order a hold on the disconnection until he or she makes a final determination o the complaint.
(B) Penalties for late payment.
(1) Late fee of $10. There will be a $10 late fee added to each bill that remains unpaid ten days after its mailing, and it will be charged until the account is closed or other arrangements are made with the village.
(2) Suspension of service; reconnect fee of $50. If any bill remains unpaid 30 days after mailing, the water supply to the property affected will be shut off by the village. A fee of $50 will be charged to reconnect or restore service to the property. However, service will not be restored until the delinquency, and all late fees and reconnect fees, are paid in full. The village may, but is not required to, enter into a payment plan to allow utility service to continue during the delinquency period; the payment plan shall include all late fees and reconnect fees, and it may include a small administrative fee.
(3) Cancellation of service after 90 days; closure of account. If any bill remains unpaid 90 days or more after mailing, service to the property will be cancelled, and the account shall be closed. A new application will be needed to restore service, and the applicant must comply with the provisions of § 51.01 of this chapter before service can be restored.
(4) Debt collection measures. Whenever charges become delinquent, the village is authorized under state law to record a lien against the real estate for which utility service is supplied after sending written notice of the delinquency to the owner of record (such as by providing a copy of the delinquency notice that had been sent to the person who is delinquent in paying the utility charges) and advising the owner that unpaid charges or rates may create a lien on the real estate. Pursuant to this authority, the village may record liens and may take other action to collect the debts owed to it.
(C) Returned check fee.
(1) If the village receives a dishonored checks in a 12-month period from a water customer, the water customer must pay a returned check fee of $25, together with any other charges imposed by the bank.
(2) The Village Board may require that the amount due to bring the account current be paid in cash or by cashier’s check or money order, and it may require that subsequent payments be made in the same manner.
(Ord. 274, passed 4-12-1995; Ord. 397, passed 6-8-2016; Ord. 404, passed 8-7-2017; Ord. 431, passed 4-14-2021; Ord. 434, passed 8-11-2021; Ord. 451, passed 7-12-2023)