(A) All applications for electric service shall be signed by all customers using the service.
(B) Each application shall be accompanied with the required utility service connection fee. The City Collector shall terminate utility service for all customers who do not fully comply with the requirements of the applications or who do not make the required service connection fee payment in full. The City Collector is authorized to determine the form of the application required for utility service from time to time, with the approval of the Finance Committee of the City Council.
(C) Application fee. A customer requesting residential utility will be required to pay a non refundable application fee of $25.
(D) Utility service fee.
(1) All residential utility customers shall be required to pay utility service fees as described below:
(2) The city’s utility service fees policy is designed to assess the credit risk associated with the applications for utility services. The charges required herein will be based upon the use of a screening tool to assess credit risk at the point application. The city shall consider the status of the applicant and act according to the following criteria. The potential delinquent risk percentages will be calculated by a National Credit Rating Service to be chosen by the employees of the city. The city’s residential utility service fees shall be calculated as follows:
(a) Except as herein provided, for regular residential utility service inside the city limits there will be a $50 fee, per utility, for applicants with a credit rating for 0% through 9.9% potential delinquency risk. There will be a $75 fee, per utility, for applicants with a credit rating of 10.0% through 24.9% potential delinquency risk. There will be a $125 fee, per utility, for applicants with a credit rating of 25% or more potential delinquency risk.
(b) Except as herein provided, for regular residential utility service outside the city limits, there will be a $75 fee, per utility, for applicants with a credit rating for 0% through 9.9% potential delinquency risk. There will be a $100 fee, per utility, for applicants with a credit rating of 10.0% through 24.9% potential delinquency risk. There will be a $150 fee, per utility, for applicants with a credit rating of 25% or more potential delinquency risk.
(c) Applicants with no credit history or no credit record found will be charged a $75 fee, per utility, for residential utility service within the city limits, and a $100 fee, per utility, for residential utility service outside the city limits.
(d) If an applicant for utility service provides a social security number that is returned as deceased, non-issued, belonging to a person under the age of 18, or belonging to a person other than the applicant or is in any way fraudulent, the residential utility service applicant will be denied service until the applicant provides solid proof of identity (i.e., a valid driver’s license, social security card, or other form of acceptable identification). If said applicant does not provide valid proof of identity utility services will not be provided.
(e) The city will not demand that an applicant provide a social security number as a requirement for service. If an applicant elects not to provide a social security number, the applicant will be assessed a fee of $125 per utility for customers within the city limits and a fee of $150 per utility for customers outside the city limits.
(f) An applicant who has an unpaid utility bill reported by a credit reporting service shall pay a fee of $125 per utility, for residential utility service within the city limits and a $150 fee, per utility, for residential utility service provided outside the city limits.
(g) If an applicant for residential utility service has an existing service in good standing with the City of Fairfield, or had service in the previous two years with an acceptable payment record, there will be no utility service fee required from the applicant.
(h) All utility service fees described above are non-refundable.
(E) Collection of unpaid residential utility charges. The City Municipal Collector is hereby authorized, but not required to request collections of all unpaid residential utility charges by the national credit service chosen by the city or any other debt collection service.
(1986 Code, § 3.15.030) (Ord. 1331, passed - -1988; Ord. 13-0611-51, passed 6-11-2013; Ord. 14-0610-71, passed 6-10-2014; Ord. 22-0125-276, passed 1-25-2022)
Cross-reference:
Public Works, see Title V