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§ 50.082 BILLING AND COLLECTION PROCEDURES.
   (A)   Generally. The Water and Sewer Department of the city will implement the following billing procedures.
   (B)   Specifically.
      (1)   Meter readings; records.
         (a)   The geographic distribution area for water and sewer customers of the system will be divided into eight routes, using city streets as route boundaries.
         (b)   A route ledger will be maintained for each route, bearing the appropriate number (one through eight) to correspond with the route for which the ledger is maintained. A subsidiary ledger meter card for each service location, designed to cover a two-year period, shall also be maintained, and the subsidiary ledger meter cards shall be arranged and filed in the order of the reading of meters in the respective route. Provision shall be made on the cards for the recording of service on a fiscal year basis, ending on June 30 of each year, to coincide with the city's fiscal year. When a meter is read, the reading for the current month shall be recorded, and furnished to the accounting clerk, who shall subtract the previous month's reading from the current month's reading to compute the water usage for billing purposes.
      (2)   Collection policy. If a bill is not paid within 15 days following the end of the billing cycle applicable to the bill, the bill shall be considered delinquent, and there shall be imposed a penalty on each bill not so paid, in an amount equal to 10% of the charges (other than sales tax) shown on the face amount of the delinquent bill. If the bill is not paid within 30 days following the end of the applicable billing cycle, the water service of the customer will be disconnected as set forth in §§ 50.100 through 50.103.
(Ord. 3-14-78-1, passed 3-14-1978; Ord. 2010-8, passed 3-9-2010)
§ 50.083 DISCONNECTIONS AND RECONNECTIONS; SERVICE CHARGE.
   When service is disconnected or reconnected to the premises of any customer for the convenience of the customer, a service charge of $10 shall be made, if the disconnection or reconnection is made during regular working hours. If the disconnection or reconnection, for the convenience of any customer, is made at night after regular working hours, or on a Sunday or a legal holiday, the service charge shall be $25.
(Ord. 3-14-78-1, passed 3-14-1978; Ord. 2010-8, passed 3-9-2010)
DELINQUENCY PROCEDURES
§ 50.100 CUSTOMER-DISPUTED BILLING.
   (A)   A utility customer may dispute the correctness of all or part of the monthly billing charged for utility service, in accordance with the procedure set forth in this section. The utility customer aggrieved by an error in the monthly billing shall notify the utility within the time permitted; otherwise, the right to dispute the billing shall be deemed waived. A utility customer who has disputed all or part of a monthly billing pursuant to this section shall not be entitled to dispute these amounts when carried forward as a part of a subsequent billing.
   (B)   The procedure to resolve disputed billing charges shall be as follows.
      (1)   A customer aggrieved by a monthly billing shall notify the utility, in writing, within ten calendar days from the date the billing was issued. The notice shall state the portion of the billing amount which is in dispute, and set forth the reasons the customer believes he or she is not obligated to pay as billed.
      (2)   If the utility determines that the dispute is timely filed, and is not an attempt to rechallenge amounts disputed under a previous billing, a representative of the utility shall schedule a hearing between the customer and the City Council.
      (3)   The customer shall be given notice of the time and place of the hearing and advised to bring all information relevant to the dispute.
      (4)   At the hearing, the utility and the customer shall be entitled to present all evidence that is, in the City Council's view, relevant and material to the dispute, and to examine and cross-examine witnesses. A written record of the hearing shall be maintained.
      (5)   Based on the record established at the hearing, the City Council, within 15 days of the completion of the hearing, shall issue its written decision formally resolving the dispute. This decision shall be final and binding on the utility and the customer.
   (C)   Until the date of the City Council's decision, the utility shall not terminate the customer's utility service, and shall not issue a notice of termination solely for nonpayment of the disputed amounts.
   (D)   Utilization of this dispute procedure shall not relieve the utility customer of his or her obligation to timely and completely pay all other undisputed utility billing charges or installments and surcharges, and the undisputed portions of billings which are the subject of the present dispute. Failure by the customer to timely and completely pay all the undisputed amounts shall subject the customer to termination of utility service in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
§ 50.101 TERMINATION OF UTILITY SERVICE.
   (A)   When a utility customer has not timely challenged all or part of a monthly billing, pursuant to § 50.100, and the customer has become 30 days delinquent in the payment of the account, the utility shall initiate the termination of utility service by mailing to the customer a notice of termination.
   (B)   Where a utility customer has challenged a billing pursuant to § 50.100, and the matter has been finally resolved, the utility shall, within 15 days after the final decision is issued, mail to the customer a notice of termination.
   (C)   The notice of termination shall contain the following information:
      (1)   The amount to be paid;
      (2)   The date the notice of termination was issued;
      (3)   The date on which a termination of utility service shall occur. The date of termination shall be 15 calendar days after the date on which the notice of termination was issued;
      (4)   A statement that, unless the utility receives full payment of the amount shown on the notice of termination prior to the date of termination, utility service will be terminated; and
      (5)   The telephone number of the utility and the name of a person to contact regarding the billing charge.
   (D)   If, prior to the date of termination, the utility has not received complete payment of the amount shown on the notice of termination, then the utility shall terminate utility service provided to the customer on the date of termination.
   (E)   If the utility receives payment of the entire amount shown on the notice prior to the date of termination, the payment shall be considered timely and shall halt the termination process.
§ 50.102 SUMMARY TURN-OFF; WHEN PERMITTED.
   (A)   It is the policy of city utilities to notify customers prior to termination of service. In certain circumstances, delivery of written notice may be impossible or impractical when balanced against the need to protect the system against waste of water, leaks, contamination, or other hazard.
   (B)   The utility may direct the temporary turn-off of service to one or more customers where the following conditions exist:
      (1)   Leaks, breaks, or failure in the mains, services, pumping machinery, or other equipment require a partial or total discontinuance in service; and/or
      (2)   Instances where contaminates dangerous to health have entered the water system, necessitating a total or partial discontinuance of service.
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