A. Monthly Payments, Liability: The water service charge and sewer user charge, and industrial cost recovery charges, for service shall be payable monthly or as close thereof as reasonably possible. The owner of the premises, the occupant thereof and the user of the service shall be jointly and severally liable therefor to the City.
B. Determination Of Quantity: If any water meter at any time fails to register the quantity of water running through it, the quantity shall be determined and the charge made based on the amount registered during the month preceding the date of such failure, or the usage for the same month of the preceding year, whichever is the greater.
C. Billing And Collection:
1. Bills for the water and sewer service shall be dated and sent out at such monthly times as may be directed by the City Council, and the City Council may change such times from time to time, as necessary for the reasonable administration of the department.
2. Billing and notices will be mailed or delivered to the user or owner's last address as shown by the records of the City when due, but failure to receive same will not relieve the user and/or owner from its obligation to pay the bill.
3. All bills are due and payable on the twenty fifth day of each month, subject to change as determined by the city council as set forth herein. If the twenty fifth day of a particular month falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, then the bills are due and payable on the next successive day, without additional penalty. All bills are consider delinquent after the twenty fifth of each month, or the first business day following such legal holiday or Sunday as provided for in this section. A penalty charge shall be added to bills not paid before the due date of ten dollars ($10.00), with an additional ten dollars ($10.00) for each successive month during which the bill has not been paid.
D. Local Debt Recovery Program:
1. Certification For Collection: Unpaid charges on sewer and water accounts shall not be certified to the comptroller until notice and an opportunity for a hearing have been provided to the account owner listed on the account involved. The notice shall be sent by first class mail to the last known address of the account owner and shall state that if payment is not made before the date for certification, the entire amount unpaid plus penalties will be certified by the City for collection as other debts may be collected. The notice shall also state that the account owner may, before such certification date, request a hearing on the matter to object to certification of unpaid utility charges.
2. Hearing: If requested by the account owner, a hearing shall be held on the matter by the Sewer and Water Commissioner or his designee. Account owners with unpaid utility charges shall have the opportunity to object to the certification of unpaid charges to be collected as taxes are collected. If, after the hearing if requested by the account owner, the Sewer and Water Commissioner or his designee finds that the amounts claimed as delinquent are actually due and unpaid and that there is no reason why the unpaid charges should not be certified for collection with taxes in accordance with this subsection D, the Sewer and Water Commissioner may certify the unpaid charges to the Comptroller for collection as other debts owed are collected.
3. Option To Pay: For each certification sustained, the account owner shall have the option to pay the delinquent amount within ten (10) days of the hearing date, after which the City may certify the delinquent amount to the Comptroller. (Ord. 544, 4-14-2008; amd. Ord. 635, 3-25-2013; Ord. 744, 9-11-2017; Ord. 770, 9-23-2019)