(A) Rates or charges for service shall be payable monthly depending on the classification of service for which bills are rendered. The owner of the premises, the occupant thereof, and the user of the service shall be jointly and severally liable to pay for the service to the premises, and the service is furnished to the premises by the city only upon the condition that the owner of the premises, occupant, and user of the services are jointly and severally liable therefor to the city.
(1) If payment of a bill by a user is not made on or before the tenth day of the month, or the first business day after the tenth if the City Clerk’s office is closed on the tenth of the month, an additional charge of 10% of the current billing shall be charged as a penalty.
(2) In the event a user’s bill is not paid by 12:00 noon on the twentieth day of the month, the city will begin water service termination procedures.
(3) The Water Department will, under the direction of the City Council, establish a time for service termination. Upon the dispatch of city crews for such termination, a penalty of $25 shall be charged for continued service, whether or not that user’s service has been terminated pursuant to this subsection.
(4) If, in the event service has been discontinued and the user thereafter makes payment of his $25 penalty and his water and sewer bill, water service shall be restored within 24 hours of the user’s payment.
(5) A $50 deposit will be required for water/sewer accounts for property owners, and a $75 deposit will be required for water/sewer accounts for renters, both for service provided by the city, based on the following:
(a) There will be a $50 deposit required for each water/sewer account established by an owner residential customer who has not had an account before or who has not maintained a current account, and a $75 deposit required for each water/sewer account established by a residential customer who is renting or leasing property.
(b) Deposits for other than renters should be returned, if the owner has maintained the account on a current basis for a period of at least 14 consecutive months.
(c) Deposits for renters will be held as long as the water/sewer customer remains a renter or for 5 years. The deposit may be transferred by the customer or it may be returned if the customer leaves the service area and the final billing is paid.
(d) Commercial accounts are not required to maintain a deposit (unless account has been delinquent for a period of 2 consecutive months or more).
(e) All accounts are to be finalized and paid on or before ownership changes. The new owner becomes responsible for the unpaid balance.
(1969 Code, § 27-142) (Ord. -, passed 9-16-1998; Am. Ord. 2000-14, passed 4-24-2000; Am. Ord. 2004-34, passed 8-23-2004) Penalty, see § 51.999