(A) Determination of charges, rules, and regulations. Water rates shall be determined by resolution of the City Council and the Council may also make such rules and regulations governing the operation of the city water system and the collection of water rates as it deems necessary. Such charges, rules, and regulations shall have the same force and effect as ordinances. The rates charged are on file in the office of the City Clerk.
(B) Billing and payment. Rates shall be billed to users on a quarterly basis. Billing shall be made by the city on the first day of the quarter, or as shortly thereafter as practical. All bills shall be due and payable on the twenty-fifth day of the quarter. A penalty of 10% shall be added if the bill is not paid by the due date.
(C) Payment required for all services. No free water service shall be rendered by said water supply system to any person, firm, or corporation, public or private, or to any public agency or instrumentality. Any service rendered to the city or any of its departments or agencies shall be paid for by the city at the established rate, as the service accrues, and said monies shall be accounted for in the same manner as other revenues of the water supply system.
(D) Fire hydrants. For fire protection, the city shall pay, out of its General Funds, the sum of $75 per year for each fire hydrant.
(E) Contractor. Building contractors shall pay a water service fee to the city for the use of water service during construction The fee shall be established by resolution of the City Council as provided in division (B) above.
(F) Installation costs. The City Council shall control all tapping into mains and lines and shall have the right to charge a reasonable fee for the same, and for installations, as may be fixed or approved from time to time by the City Council.
(G) Connection charges. Connection charges shall be determined by resolution of the City Council. The charges shall have the same force and effect of ordinances.
(H) Lien. The charges for water and other services which are under the provisions of Public Act 94 of 1933, § 21, being M.C.L.A. § 141.121, as amended, are made a lien on all premises served thereby unless notice is given that a tenant is responsible, and are recognized to constitute such lien, and whenever any such charge against any piece of property is delinquent for more than one quarterly billing period, the city officials in charge of the collection thereof shall certify to the Tax Assessing Officer of the city the fact of such delinquency, whereupon such charge shall be entered upon the next tax roll as a charge against such premises and shall be collected and the lien thereof enforced in the same manner as general city taxes against such premises are collected and the lien thereof enforced. All provisions of the city and of the laws of the state applicable to the time and manner of certification and collection of delinquent city taxes levied against real estate in the city shall be applicable to and shall be observed in the certification and collection of charges for water, and other services; provided, however, where notice is given that a tenant is responsible for such charges and service as provided by § 21, no further service shall be rendered to such piece of property until a cash deposit in an amount as established by resolution of the City Council has been made as security for the payment of such charges and services. The city agrees that it will take all steps and perform all acts legally permissible to assure the prompt collection of all such charges for water and other services rendered by the system.
(I) Disconnection for late payment.
(1) It is the policy of the city to discontinue utility service to customers by reason of nonpayment of bills, only after notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard on disputed bills. The city’s form for application for utility service and all bills shall contain, in addition to the title, address and telephone number of the official in charge of billing, clearly visible and easily readable provisions to the effect:
(a) That all bills are due and payable on or before the date set forth on the bill;
(b) That if any bill is not paid by or before that date, a second bill will be mailed containing a cutoff notice that if the bill is not paid within ten days of the mailing of the second bill, service will be discontinued for nonpayment; and
(c) That any customer disputing the correctness of his or her bill shall have a right to a hearing at which time he or she may be represented in person and by counsel or any other person of his or her choosing and may present orally or in writing his or her complaint and contentions to the city official in charge of utility billing. This official shall be authorized to order that the customer’s service not be discontinued and shall have the authority to make a final determination of the customer’s complaint.
(2) Requests for delays or waiver of payment will not be entertained; only questions of proper and correct billing will be considered. In the absence of payment of the bill rendered or resort to the hearing procedure provided herein, service will be discontinued at the time specified, but in no event until the charges have been due and unpaid for at least 30 days.
(3) When it becomes necessary for the city to discontinue utility service to a customer for nonpayment of bills, service will be reinstated only after all bills for service then due have been paid, along with a turn-on charge in an amount set by the city.
(2011 Code, § 13.04.030) (Ord. 16, passed - -1948; Ord. 75, passed - -1975; Ord. 82, passed - -1976; Ord. 287, passed - -2005)