(A) When due and payable; discontinuance. All city utility bills, whether for water, sewer or services incidental thereto, or all of them, are due and payable no later than the tenth day of the calendar month next following the calendar month in which the services are provided. If a patron’s utility bill with the city is not paid in full by that date, the city shall discontinue all services to the patron, and shall immediately discontinue water service to the patron by turning the valve on the water meter for the patron to a closed position and securing the valve in that position in such manner as may be deemed sufficient by the city or its employees. It shall be unlawful for any person other than a city employee acting under the supervision and direction of the appropriate department head to in any manner tamper with or disturb any valve or other shut-off apparatus attached to or in any manner connected with a city water line or any meter attached to such line. For good cause shown, the City Manager may allow utility patrons reasonable extensions on the payment of delinquent utility bills.
(B) Application of deposit; new deposit. Where a utility patron has a utility statement which is delinquent for a period exceeding 60 days, the city shall discontinue all utility services and apply the utility security deposit to the outstanding statements. Thereafter a utility patron shall be required to provide a utility security deposit equal to one and one-half times that required for a person who has maintained their utility account on a current basis and the city will reconnect utility services to the patron.
(C) Challenge to accuracy of bill.
(1) Any utility patron who wishes to dispute the accuracy of the charges or services reflected on any city utility bill addressed to him or her shall have the right to request a hearing with respect to the bill before the City Manager, who shall have the authority to rectify any errors in the bill at the hearing.
(2) Any such hearing must be requested in writing, which must be delivered to the City Hall, with the hearing to be held by the end of the third business day following the date on which the request for hearing is filed with the City Secretary.
(3) Any termination of service proposed under the bill being disputed shall be suspended until such time as the hearing has been conducted and the termination by the City Manager is announced to the patron in question. The request for a hearing must be filed no later than the close of business on the tenth day of the calendar month next following the calendar month in which the services in question were provided.
(D) Reconnection procedure; fee.
(1) Once utility services have been discontinued as provided above, none of the services shall be recontinued or reconnected unless and until such time as the patron in question has paid in full all delinquent utility bills owed to the city.
(2) Once water service has been disconnected as provided above, it shall not be reconnected unless and until the patron in question has restored his or her security deposit to the amount required above and has paid a reconnection fee in the amount of $25 per utility reconnected.
(Ord. 92-9, passed 10-20-1992; Ord. 2008-17, passed 9-2-2008)