A. Interference With Meters: No person, except a city employee who is duly authorized, shall interfere with or obstruct access to any meter used for the measurement of city water. If a meter is obstructed, which obstruction prevents the city from reading the meter, maintaining the meter or taking other necessary action, the owner or occupant of the property shall be notified to remove or eliminate the obstruction within twenty four (24) hours. If said obstruction is not removed after proper notice, the city shall cause the obstruction to be removed at the owner's or occupant's expense. Any expense incurred shall be included on the owner's or occupant's next water bill. Notice shall be provided by delivery to the person named on the water account at the address provided, by posting the notice on the obstruction or by posting the notice prominently on the main entrance of the premises being supplied water by the obstructed meter. In addition to the above procedure for removal of the obstruction, the owner or occupant of the premises may be cited for violation of the provisions of this subsection and the penalty therefor shall, upon conviction, be punishable by a fine in the minimum amount of ninety nine dollars ($99.00) and a maximum amount not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00) plus court costs.
B. Averaging Charges: In the event that any meter is obstructed which prevents the meter from being read during a billing cycle or should the meter fail to register properly and not show correctly the quantity of water used since the last reading, in arriving at the quantity used, the right shall exist on the part of the city to average the month and charge for water on a basis of the previous twelve (12) months' consumption rate.
C. Extreme Weather Policies: Residential electric utility services will not be disconnected during extreme weather temperatures (defined below). The initial decision on the disconnection of service will rest with the customer service supervisor with the final decision resting with the finance director and/or the city manager.
1. Year round policy:
a. Daytime: Thirty two degrees Fahrenheit (32°F) or below.
b. Night: Twenty degrees Fahrenheit (20°F) or below.
c. Heat index of one hundred one degrees Fahrenheit (101°F) or higher.
2. No disconnect if temperatures are thirty two degrees Fahrenheit (32°F) or below during the day, twenty degrees Fahrenheit (20°F) or below at night or if the predicted heat index is one hundred one degrees Fahrenheit (101°F) or higher.
3. Disconnection may be delayed thirty (30) days with medical doctor or osteopath certification of a life threatening condition or life support equipment; certificate may be renewed once.
4. Disconnection may be delayed for twenty (20) days if customer has applied for financial assistance including SSI.
5. Customer is required to negotiate a payment plan. No disconnection if customer enters into a deferred payment plan and is current in all payments.
D. Idle Consumption Billing: Any owner of real estate premises installing or maintaining water and electric services provided by the authority shall be held responsible for any charges associated with the meters and the usage shown on the meters. This may include, but is not limited to: water or electric service charges, repair fees, tampering fees, and unexplained usage. The exception will be such premises that services are carried in the name of the tenants or other persons. Any such owner who disputes the utility service fee shall be entitled to administrative review of their billing pursuant to the provisions of section 17-215 of this chapter and/or section 17-408 of this part.
E. Sanitary Sewer Adjustment: In the event a consumer is granted an adjustment to his water bill pursuant to the provisions of section 17-215 of this chapter, and if his sanitary sewer rates are based on his water consumption, an adjustment for sanitary sewer service may be allowed. The adjustment, if any, shall be based on the consumer's revised water consumption billing. (Ord. 1759, 9-13-2016)