A. Issuance Of Bills; Collection Of Amounts Due: It shall be the duty of the city clerk to issue all bills for water, wastewater and garbage use, fees, charges, and deposits owed to waterworks, wastewater, and garbage services and to collect such amounts when they become due.
B. Forms For Bills: The city clerk shall prepare the forms for water, wastewater and garbage bills, which forms shall show such information concerning the rules, regulations and ordinances pertaining to waterworks, wastewater and garbage services and rates as the City Manager may deem advisable.
C. Application Of Provisions, Regulations, Policies And Procedures: All users of the services, the occupants thereof and the owners of the premises of water, wastewater and/or garbage services shall be governed by and subject to the provisions and conditions of this title and other ordinances of the City in effect or to become in effect and the regulations, written policies and procedures established by the City Manager or by appropriate authority.
D. Responsibility For Payment; Payment Plan: All users of the combined waterworks and wastewater systems and/or garbage services shall pay for such services on the basis of the rates established by the City Council and applicable to the service supplied by the City and in addition thereto. A payment plan may be established to the user of the service, the occupant thereof and/or the owner of the premises before the shutoff date if it has been deemed acceptable by the appropriate authority.
E. Liability For Service: The user of the service, the occupant thereof and the owner of the premises shall be liable to pay for the service to such premises, and the service is furnished to the premises by the City only upon condition that the owner of the premises is liable upon default of the user of the service and is therefore responsible to the City.
F. Notice Of Lease Or Sale Of Property:
1. Every owner of property served by water, wastewater and/or garbage services shall notify the City Clerk's Office within ten (10) days after making any lease or contract of sale of such property. The notice shall include the name of the tenant or purchaser, the duration of the lease or the period of contract, and the street address of the property.
2. Any owner of any property who fails to comply with the requirements of subsection F1 of this section shall be liable to the City for payment of the bills accruing against the premises from the time the tenant or purchaser under contract entered into possession of the premises. (Ord. 99-1208, 12-6-1999)
G. Rendition Of Bills; Payment; Failure To Pay: All bills for service shall be rendered as of the first day of the month (per billing period) succeeding the period for which the service is billed and shall be payable not later than the close of business on the fifteenth day of the same month. A ten percent (10%) penalty charge of the unpaid balance shall be added to all bills not paid within fifteen (15) days of the date of the billing. When the fifteenth day of any month shall be a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday, then such bills for service shall be payable on the next succeeding secular day without any additional penalty. A reminder notice will be sent to the user of the service, the occupant thereof and/or the owner of the premises notifying them that the account is past due and delinquent. The user of the service(s) has ten (10) days from the date of the reminder notice to respond by either paying the amount owed and/or request a deferred payment plan. (Ord. 99-1208, 12-6-1999; amd. Ord. 17-1014, 10-16-2017)
H. Delinquencies; Shut Off Of Services; Liens:
1. Delinquent Payments: In the event that the charges for service are not paid within twenty five (25) days after rendition of the bill for such service, such charges shall be deemed and are hereby declared to be delinquent, and the City Clerk is hereby authorized to notify the Public Works Department to post a twenty four (24) hour notice on the front door of the said address listed on the water, sewer and garbage bill, listing amount due and time water will be disconnected if payment is not made or arranged. A posting fee of twenty five dollars ($25.00) will be charged to the user of the service, occupant thereof and/or owner of the premises regardless of whether the bill is paid, whether the water or other said services are about to be paid or whether the water or other said services have been shut off. No further notice will be given. A rate of one percent (1%) per month of the unpaid balance or portion thereof will be charged after thirty (30) days of the date of the billing, plus a processing fee of twenty dollars ($20.00). Reinstatement of service will not occur until all past due bills, including the penalties thereon, are paid in full, together with a twenty five dollar ($25.00) payment fee for reinstating such services. Services will not occur until a minimum of twenty four (24) hours after shutoff has occurred to the premises and all past due bills have been paid in full. (Ord. 99-1208, 12-6-1999; amd. Ord. 08-0805, 8-4-2008; Ord. 17-1014, 10-16-2017)
2. Shut Off Of Services: If the City is unable to find the water shutoff valve or if water shutoff valve fails to operate or does not exist, the City will schedule to have water or sewer service dug up, which would then be clamped, capped or any other mechanism to shut off service. The owner of the premises will incur the cost of such actions, plus twenty five dollars ($25.00). Service will not resume until these costs have been paid and the owner of the premises installs a visible and operable shutoff valve or any other mechanism to shutoff service. The owner of the premises must notify JULIE forty eight (48) hours prior to digging and installing an operable valve.
3. Terminating Service To Connections Serving Multiple Customers: Whenever two (2) or more premises are supplied by one service connection to the public mains, the failure on the part of any one of the owners or occupants of such premises to comply with the requirements of this title shall be cause for the City to shut off the supply of water to such connection, without any liability whatsoever. Before shutting off any service connection serving two (2) or more premises, the City shall notify all customers affected by such shutoff, and those customers shall have the right to continue service by paying the amount owed to the City and/or correcting the violations for which service was to be terminated.
4. Changing Premises; Restrictions On Service To New Premises: If the user of the service or the occupant thereof moves from one premises to another premises and leaves behind an unpaid water, sewer and/or garbage account, the user of the service and/or the occupant thereof will be denied service until the account is paid in full and a hookup fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) has been collected for the new account.
5. Resolving Delinquencies: A person who is the user of the service, occupant thereof and/or the owner of the premises shall have ten (10) days from the date of the reminder notice to respond by either paying the amount owed to the City, correcting the dispute, or requesting a formal hearing. If such person requests a formal hearing, it must be done in writing to the City Manager. The written request for a formal hearing shall outline the user of the service, occupant thereof and/or the owner of the premises in dispute with the City. The City Manager shall notify the person of the date, time, and place of the hearing. The decision by the appropriate authority should constitute as the final decision.
6. Delinquencies A Lien: If the account remains unpaid after one hundred eighty (180) days, the City Manager and/or designated agents shall file a lien notice of delinquency against the property and/or shall file other action(s) that may be deemed appropriate by the City Council. This lien shall be in the amount of the unpaid water, sewer and/or garbage account as incurred, as well as any subsequent charges, penalties and costs for placing and removing the lien. (Ord. 99-1208, 12-6-1999)
I. Returned Check Charges:
1. If a check has been returned for nonsufficient funds, a charge of not less than twenty five dollars ($25.00) or current bank fee will be added to the amount due. Same fee applies when a check has been written on a closed or nonexistent account. (Ord. 17-1014, 10-16-2017)
2. The charge for a returned check, plus the amount originally due, shall be due immediately upon notification. Water service shall be discontinued, as provided elsewhere in this title, if the total amount due is not paid within five (5) working days when notice is served in person, or ten (10) working days after the postmark when notice is served by mail.
3. The City Clerk may require the amounts due to be paid in cash, cashier's check, or money order after a check has been returned. (Ord. 99-1208, 12-6-1999)
4. Failure to reconcile payment due will terminate service until the account is paid in full. (Ord. 17-1014, 10-16-2017)