(A) If any bills for the services of the system shall remain unpaid after 30 days following the rendition of the bill therefor, the water supply furnished by the city for the lot, parcel of land or premises affected shall be cut off and shall not be again turned on, except on payment in full of the delinquent charges therefore, in addition to the payment of a charge of $50.
(B) (1) It is the policy of the city to discontinue utility service to customers by reason of non-payment of bills only after notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard on disputed bills. It is hereby provided:
(a) All bills are due and payable on or before the date set forth on the bill;
(b) 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 non-payment; and
(c) 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 be entertained; proper documentation in the form of a signed deferred payment arrangement must be in the office prior to the disconnect date in order to avoid termination of service; 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 ten days after the penalty date.
(3) When it becomes necessary for the city to discontinue utility service to a customer for non-payment of bills, service will be reinstated only after all bills for service then due have been paid, along with a turn-on charge in the sum of $50. The service can then only be connected during the city’s normal hours of operation; otherwise the service will be connected the following business day.
(1999 Code, § 52.088) (Ord. 888, passed 12-18-1978; Ord. 1384, passed 7-31-1989; Ord. 1459, passed 12-17-1990; Ord. 3588, passed 9-15-2008)
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