(A) (1) If the bill of any gas customer remains delinquent for five days or more, the City Clerk shall notify such gas customer and the owner of the property served, in writing by certified mail, return receipt requested, that the gas bill is delinquent and that gas service is to be terminated ten days after the day the notice is mailed.
(2) Said notice shall specifically inform such gas customer of the following:
(a) The customer may contact the City Clerk to request a hearing on the delinquent gas bill;
(b) The said request must be made within three working days of receipt of said delinquency and termination notice;
(c) If said request is made, a hearing will be held within five days of the request for hearing; and
(d) The service will be discontinued within ten days of the mailing of said notice, if no request for a hearing is made.
(B) In the event a customer makes a timely request for a hearing for nonpayment of a delinquent gas bill, the City Clerk shall, at the time said request is made, advise such person of the time, place, and date for the hearing. The hearing shall be conducted by a Hearing Officer, said Hearing Officer to be the Mayor or a responsible person appointed by the Mayor. The Hearing Officer shall examine evidence submitted by the customer and by the City Gas Department and on the basis thereof make findings as to the status of the customer’s account.
(C) If the findings reached at said hearing are adverse to the customer, such findings shall be reduced to writing, with a copy thereof to be forwarded to said customer and to the owner of the property served, by certified mail, return receipt requested. Said notice shall also contain the date on which service to the customer will be discontinued.
(D) At the time that the gas service is to be discontinued, the city employee disconnecting the gas service to the premises shall deliver to any occupant of the premises present, or attach to the premises, a written notice stating that the gas service to the premises has been discontinued for the nonpayment of a delinquent gas bill, the time and date that the service was discontinued and that the gas service will not be reconnected until the delinquent bill and any presently due gas bill is paid, together with a reconnection fee of $50.
(E) In the event gas service has been discontinued due to nonpayment of bills, it shall not be reestablished until said delinquent bill and any presently due gas bill is paid in full, together with a reconnection charge of $50.
(F) Gas service to a residential customer shall not be disconnected for nonpayment of bills when the St. Louis National Weather Service forecast for the following 24 hours forecasts the temperature to be 40°F or lower; nor shall gas service to any customer be disconnected for nonpayment on a Friday or the day before a holiday.
(G) In the event a resident requests natural gas hook-up after normal business hours (currently 3:30 p.m.), the hook-up fee shall be $75.
(1978 Code, § 13.12.120) (Ord. 588, passed - -1984; Ord. 87-16, passed - -1987; Ord. 2015-7, passed 9-3-2015)