(A) A person commits the offense of unlawful interference with public utility services when he or she knowingly, without the consent of the owner of the services, impairs or interrupts any public water, power supply or other public services, or diverts, or causes to be diverted in whole or in part, any public water, power supply or other public services, or installs or removes any device for the purpose of such diversion, or knowingly delays restoration of such public services as a result of the person’s theft of wire or other materials or equipment used for such services.
(B) The terms PUBLIC WATER, POWER SUPPLY or OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES mean any service furnished by the city; any service furnished by any public utility that is owned by the city and operated by any of its lessees or operating agents.
(C) Any instrument, apparatus or device used in obtaining utility services without paying the full charge therefor or any meter or outdoor electric breaker box or any seal on any of the foregoing that has been altered, tampered with or bypassed so as to cause a lack of measurement or inaccurate measurement of utility services or to obtain utility service without the permission of the city on premises controlled by the customer or by the person using or receiving the direct benefit of utility service at that location shall raise a rebuttable presumption of the commission of the offense described in division (A) above by such person. The removal of a tag or seal on an electric current meter or an outdoor breaker box or the use of an electric current meter other than the meter assigned by the city to that location shall raise a rebuttable presumption of the commission of the offense described in division (A) above by the person using or receiving the direct benefit of utility service at that location.
(D) A person convicted of unlawful interference with public utility services is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Ord. 2009-08, passed 5-26-2009; Am. Ord. 2009-18, passed 8-24-2009)