(A) Failure to pay bill. All bills for utility services shall be due and payable upon presentation and if a bill is not paid within 15 days, a penalty equal to 20% of the amount due on said bill shall be added thereto. This penalty shall be in addition to the charges heretofore established for the utility services.
(B) Reconnection and non-payment fee. In the event water service to any water user of the Village is disconnected for non-payment of municipal water service charged by the Village, a $75 non-payment fee will be assessed. No reconnection shall be made until all delinquent water and sewer charges are paid to the Village by the user and/or owner of the property.
(C) Disconnection for non-payment.
(1) Any customer who fails to pay their utility bills within 25 days of presentation shall have the utility services disconnected after a written notice by the Water Clerk has been mailed by first-class mail to the customer. The foresaid notice shall be mailed to the customer 16 days after billing, or in the event the sixteenth day falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day following the sixteenth day, specifically advising the customer of the following:
(a) Name and address of the customer and amount due for services, including late penalties.
(b) Date of disconnection/termination of services.
(2) Payment arrangements can be made prior to the disconnection date with partial payment of at least 50% of the current balance. If payment in full is not made by the thirty-ninth day (two weeks from the original disconnection date), all applicable penalties and fees will be applied to the unpaid balance and water service shall be disconnected.
(D) Hearing.
(1) Any customer disputing the contents of their bill shall have the right to a hearing. The customer may be represented in person, by counsel or any other person of their choosing, at their expense. If representation is by another, the customer must advise the Village official in advance of the hearing. The complaint may be oral or in writing, directed to the Village official in charge of utility billing. This official shall have the authority to make a final determination of the customer's complaint, including whether or not the customer's services will be disconnected/terminated.
(2) Requests for delays or waiver of payment will not be considered at the hearing. Only questions of proper billing will be evaluated. Nonpayment and/or request of a hearing will not delay or eliminate disconnection on the date specified in the notice.
(3) Upon utility services being disconnected, services shall not be reconnected or used until all delinquent accounts and bills of service are paid in full. A non-payment fee of $75, described in paragraph (B)(1), shall be applied. Reconnection of services shall be 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
(Prior Code, § 8-1-11) (Ord. 440, passed 6-20-1983; Ord. 721, passed 4-2-2012; Ord. 755, passed 7-7-2014; Ord. 2023-11, passed 10-2-2023; Ord. 2024-07, passed 8-5-2024) Penalty, see §
50.99