(a) All accrued rates and charges, including late fees or other associated charges, for services and infrastructure provided by the City and as established pursuant to Chapter 1044 (Water Rates and Revenues), Chapter 1048 (Sewer Rates and Revenues), Chapter 1052 (Water and Sewer Capital Improvement Fund), and Chapter 1060 (Garbage and Rubbish Collection and Removal) shall be billed in a combined statement, as part of a single bill, at least monthly. The bill submitted under this subsection (a) shall be referred to as the "aggregate bill".
(b) Each aggregate bill shall state a date for payment thereof, which date shall be not less than fifteen days from the date of mailing thereof. If payment in full is not made on or before 5:00 p.m. CST/CDT on the date so specified, a late fee of ten percent of the aggregate bill, or any portion thereof remaining outstanding, shall be added to the amount owed. A payment shall be deemed made on the earlier of (1) actual receipt of payment by the City, or (2) the date payment is placed in the U.S. Mail, first class, postage prepaid, properly addressed, as determined exclusively by the postmark affixed by the U.S. Post Office.
(c) If any amounts due pursuant to an aggregate bill, including any late charges due thereupon, remain unpaid for a period of ten days after the due date set forth on the aggregate bill, the City shall mail to the customer, at the customer's billing address, and if the customer is a renter, then also to the property owner in the manner set forth below in this subsection (c), a notice of delinquency specifying a date by which the delinquent aggregate bill shall be paid or on which services will be discontinued, which date shall be not less than fifteen days after the date of mailing thereof. The City shall post, not less than five days prior to the date for disconnection, a notice at the property specifying the date for disconnection, and advising the occupants thereof that all municipal utility services will be disconnected on the date specified unless payment in full is made of all past due amounts. For purposes of providing notice of delinquency to the property owner as referenced above, if the property is registered in the City's Landlord Registration Program, the City shall send the notice to the property owner's contact information (address or email) listed in the City's Landlord Registration Program. To the extent the property is not registered in the City's Landlord Registration Program, the City shall send notice to the last known address or email that the City has in its records for the property owner.
(d) If any aggregate bill is not paid in full, including any late fees, on or before the date specified for disconnection as set forth in a delinquency notice, the City may discontinue services to the property at any time after the date specified, without further notice. A service fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be charged for the disconnection.
(e) No service which has been disconnected shall be reconnected unless the balance outstanding has been paid in full. The City may enter into a payment arrangement for repayment of sums due in lieu of demanding immediate payment of all sums due, and the City Manager may adopt procedures and policies for implementation of any payment plans. Provided, that no provision hereof shall be interpreted as requiring the City to enter into payment arrangements with any person.
(f) To the extent a property owner is the delinquent customer on the payment of a bill and the City desires to secure a lien on the property for which service has been provided, the City shall send the delinquency notice required in subsection (c) above to those parties required to be notified pursuant to 65 ILCS 11-139-8, in the manner provided for therein, including the property owner by certified mail. At any time thereafter, the City may file a lien against the property for all past due payments without further notice to any party. The City may, in its sole discretion, elect to aggregate multiple delinquencies prior to filing such a lien.
(g) The City may take all steps permitted by State law to collect any amounts due for services represented on the aggregate bill, including, but not limited to, the use of private collection firms, recourse to State Income Tax refunds, and such other and further relief as may be available to the City.
(Ord. 2018-11. Passed 3-5-18; Ord. 2022-18. Passed 5-2-22.)