(A) The City of Dry Ridge shall prepare monthly utility billings and send the same to the customers at the addresses provided by the said customers.
(B) Failure to receive a monthly bill will in no way release the customer from due dates or any other related obligations including timely payment. Any customer who does not receive a bill for utilities provided by the city, shall notify the City Clerk that no bill was received, and, thereafter, the City Clerk shall make and issue a new bill to the customer.
(C) All utility bills shall be paid timely by cash, check, certified check, money order or credit card made payable to the order of the City of Dry Ridge, Kentucky. Partial payments of said billing and accounts may be accepted by the City of Dry Ridge by decision and entry made by the Dry Ridge City Council upon application. However, said partial payment shall be considered as a default by the customer so subjecting the customer and the property or premises being provided utilities’ services to actions for default and nonpayment of utility accounts which may result in penalties, service charges and disconnection from and termination of service.
(D) A utility customer’s returned check shall be deemed and considered as a nonpayment subjecting the customer to a levy and payment of a service fee for an account in default. Further, should a customer at any time, suffer a second returned or dishonored check, the same will result in another service fee; and, thereafter, such customer shall be required to pay utility billings by cash, money order or credit card.
(E) All monthly utility billing accounts are due on the 15th day of each calendar-month and subject to the levy of a penalty of ten percent (10%) and other determined charges and fees, if not paid within and by the 15th day of that instant, calendar-month to the City of Dry Ridge by the close of the city’s business day being 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, by worthy and honored remittance to the city offices and personnel direct; by deposit to and within the city’s drop-box at the entrance of the entrance of the city building; by official United States postal delivery to and placement of the said payment into the city’s mail box at the United States Post Office in Dry Ridge, Kentucky; by electronic draft or credit card payment via the city’s website online utility payment system; or by worthy and timely payment made to the city’s order into the city’s utility payment account at the Forcht Bank in Dry Ridge, Kentucky.
(F) Any utility billing account not paid by the 22nd day of the calendar-month, or paid thereafter, shall be deemed to be delinquent, in default, subject to the levy of a ten percent (10%) penalty as provided for above in division (E), a determined service of $35.00, and other service fees and charges found, and the immediate disconnection of utility services. Further, monies owed after 5:00 p.m., prevailing time on the 22nd, shall be paid or remitted by guaranteed funds only.
(G) If after two (2) consecutive months of non-payment and or delinquent status of any utility account, the city shall immediately final the account in delinquency, apply any deposit as prescribed in section 7 due the account, and lock all utility services as possible. If the utility account is in the name of a tenant, the property owner shall be notified directly by phone, email and/or regular US mail as to the status and balance of account for the property. Also the city shall notify the solid waste services provider to suspend any city paid collection services for that service address.
(H) Upon finding of a utility billing account to be delinquent, in addition to termination of utilities’ service, the City of Dry Ridge, may at its election, take all actions, in law or equity, to enforce and foreclose its lien upon property and premises for monies and debts owed for utilities, or take any actions to recover the debt or monies owed.
(Ord. 848-2018, passed 6-4-18)