A. Penalty; Unpaid Charges A Lien: Bills for water rates shall become delinquent if not paid by the twenty fifth day of the month when due. A one-time late payment penalty often dollars ($10.00) shall be added to each delinquent bill. Unpaid service charges, rates or rentals shall constitute a lien upon the premises with water service. The City Clerk shall certify by March 10 of each year to the county auditor said past due bills for collection with and in the same manner as property taxes.
B. Water Shut Off For Nonpayment; Notice; Reconnection Fee: Upon receipt of a regular monthly water bill with a previous balance due, the previous balance due plus the late payment penalty must be paid by the fifteenth of the current month or water service will be shut off. A shutoff notice will be included with the current bill showing the delinquency. Such notice shall be sent by ordinary mail with the current bill to the customer in whose name the delinquent charges were incurred and shall inform the customer of the nature of the delinquency and afford the customer the opportunity for a hearing prior to the shut off.
If a hearing is requested by twelve o'clock (12:00) noon of the day preceding the shut off, the Mayor shall conduct an informal hearing and shall make a determination as to the whether the disconnection is justified. The customer has a right to appeal the decision to the City Council, and if the City Council finds that disconnection is justified, then the disconnection shall be made, unless payment has been received.
If service is shut off, the delinquent amount of the current bill must be paid in full before service is restored, and the user will have to pay a ten dollar ($10.00) reconnection fee in advance of restoration of the service. If the payment of the delinquency is made prior to the fifteenth day of the month, the current balance will remain due by the twenty fifth of the month.
C. Rental Property Exempt From Lien; Written Notice To City: Residential or commercial rental property where a charge for water service is separately metered and paid by the tenant is exempt from a lien for delinquency or charges associated with such water service, if the landlord gives written notice to the City that the property is residential or commercial rental property and that the tenant is liable for the rates or charges. The City requires a deposit of seventy five dollars ($75.00) for all renters. Upon receipt, the City shall acknowledge and notice any deposits. A written notice shall contain the name of the tenant responsible for charges, address of the rental property that the tenant is to occupy and the date occupancy begins. (2015 Code; amd. Ord. 2016-01, 2-9-2016; Ord. 2020-01, 2-20-2020)