(A) Rates. Charges, fees, and assessments for municipal utilities shall be in the amounts and times designated by City Council resolution, or ordinance, and shall constitute a debt owing and payable to the city.
(B) Billing. Regular municipal utility services shall be issued according to the billing dates established by the Director of Finance.
(C) Unified billing. Municipal utility services shall be billed under a unified bill which includes water, sewer, drainage, street cleaning, garbage collection charges and other charges as the Council designates.
(D) Payment. All charges for utility services shall be due and payable on the billing date. All unpaid utility charges shall become delinquent at the close of business on the 25th of the current month. If the delinquent date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, charges shall become delinquent at the close of business on the next business day after said Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. Postmarks will not be accepted as the date the payment was received.
(E) Proration. For the first and last months of active utility service, the utility charges shall be prorated beginning with the first day of service in the current billing cycle, until the last day of the billing cycle or the last day of utility services if the Finance Director has been notified in advance of the proposed termination.
(F) Meter failures. If a meter fails to register during any billing period or is known to register inaccurately, the customer shall be charged on the basis of the average monthly consumption for a period of one year as shown by the meter when in use and registering accurately or, in the event the customer has not received water for a period of one full year, then over such lesser period based on the average monthly consumption.
(G) Disputed meter reading. In case of a disputed meter reading, the customer may make a written complaint to the Director of Finance, together with a deposit of a fee as set by Council resolution. The deposit will be returned and the utility bill equitably adjusted for a period of not to exceed the prior 12 months in any case where the meter shall be tested and found to register flows demonstrating more than 3% over or under the amount of water which actually passes through the meter. If it is determined that no error occurred, the customer shall receive credit on his utility account in the amount of the difference between the amount to be charged to the city for the testing of the disputed meter and the amount of deposit.
(H) Billing errors. In the event a clerical error or other circumstance occurs which creates an inaccurate billing for service charges, an adjustment shall be made in the customer's bill for a period not to exceed the preceding 36 months, either in the customer's favor or the city's favor as appropriate.
(Ord. 731 C.S., passed 5-16-01; Am. Ord. 919 C.S., passed 5-20-15)