(A) Collections.
1. Sewer service charges, permit application charges, connection fees, septage charges, monitoring charges, storm drainage charges and other charges identified in this chapter shall be collected by the Director of Finance.
2. Flat rate sewer service charges shall be paid monthly with other city utility bills. All sewer service charges shall be earned as of the day of each month of service, regardless of the date of the termination of sewer service, and no rebates shall be made for mid month disconnections.
3. Sewer service charges based on metered water use and student average daily attendance (ADA) shall be billed monthly with other city utility bills following the month of use.
4. All other fees and charges not listed in subsections (A)2. and (A)3. of this section shall be paid as set forth in this chapter. Fees and charges not requiring prepayment or payment at the time of issuance shall be included on the following monthly city utility bill to the customer, except for industrial user connection fees, as described in § 9-6-25(F)4. of this chapter.
(B) Delinquencies.
1. Penalty fees.
(a) In the event any customer shall fail to pay the sewer service charges, connection fees, monitoring fees, and other required charges and fees by the twenty-fifth of the month following the presentation of a bill by the city therefor, a basic penalty for the late payment in the amount of 10% shall be added to such bill, and the Director of Finance shall collect such penalty in addition to the delinquent charge.
(b) In the event a customer fails to pay the storm sewer charges and storm drainage charges by the fifteenth of the month following presentation of a bill by the city therefor, a basic penalty for late payment in the amount of 10% shall be added to such bill and collected as described in this subsection.
(c) After assessing the basic penalty, thereafter an additional penalty of 0.5% per month shall be added to all delinquent charges and basic penalties remaining unpaid, until the City Council requests the City Finance Director (or equivalent) to lien the amount of all delinquencies against the appropriate premises as set forth below.
2. Discontinuance of service. In the event customers shall fail to pay any charges or fees described in this chapter, including any penalty, fees and fines associated with violation of the discharge parameters identified in an industrial wastewater discharge permit, by the fifteenth day of the second month following the presentation of a bill therefor, the city, in addition to all other remedies it may have, may discontinue furnishing sewer service and shall not resume the same until all charges, together with any service charge or connection fee necessitated by the resumption of sewer service, have been fully paid.
3. Court action. In addition to the remedies set forth in subsection (B)2. of this section, at the option of the city, the city may file a civil action against the customer for the collection of any amounts due and unpaid. Such remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to any other remedy provided in this chapter.
4. Notices of liens. In the event the customer or premises shall be three months delinquent in the payment of any charges and fees included in this chapter, the city shall notify the owner of the real property of such delinquency in writing and shall further notify such owner that the delinquency shall be subject to collection pursuant to the provisions of subsection (B)5. of this section.
5. Lien proceedings. All unpaid accounts at any premises shall constitute a lien against the same and shall be subject to collection all as provided by the Revenue Bond Law of 1941 as found in Cal. Gov’t Code Title 5, Division 2, Part 1, Chapter 6.
6. Restoration of service. Water or sewer service shall not be restored until all charges, including the expense of removal, closing and restoration, shall have been paid.
7. Ownership and occupancy. Change of ownership or occupancy of premises found delinquent shall not be cause for reducing or eliminating the penalties set forth in this section.
(Ord. 497, passed 6-20-2000; Ord. 584, passed 8-4-2009)