(A) Meters shall be read and bills shall be rendered monthly.
(B) Charge for service shall commence when the meter is installed and connection made, whether used or not.
(C) Readings from different meters shall not be combined for billings, irrespective of the fact that the meters may be for the same premises, for the same or different consumers or for the same or different services.
(D) Bills shall be due when rendered and shall be delinquent 15 days thereafter. It is the policy of the town to discontinue utility service to consumers by reason of nonpayment of bills only after notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard on disputed bills.
(E) If any bill becomes delinquent, a second bill will be mailed containing a cutoff notice, stating that if the bill is not paid within ten days of the mailing of the second bill, service will be discontinued for nonpayment.
(F) (1) Any consumer disputing the correctness of a bill shall have a right to a hearing at which time the consumer may be represented in person 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 town official in charge of utility billing. This official shall be authorized to order that the consumer's service not be discontinued and shall have the authority to make a final determination of the consumer's complaint.
(2) Requests for delays or waiver of payment will not be entertained at this hearing; only 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 30 days.
(G) When it becomes necessary for the town to discontinue utility service to a consumer for nonpayment of bills, service will be reinstated only after all bills for service then due have been paid, along with a turn-on charge as determined by the Council.
(H) Consumer's bills shall become delinquent despite consumer's failure to receive bills or notices, and consumer shall not be relieved of his or her obligation therein due to his or her failure to receive bills or notices.
(I) The town shall make special meter readings at the request of a consumer for a fee as determined by the Council, provided that, if the special reading discloses that the meter was over-read, no charge shall be made.
(J) Meters shall be tested at a consumer's request. Consumer shall pay to the town an amount determined by the Council, provided that, if the test discloses that the meter over-registered beyond 3% of the correct volume, no charge shall be made. The town shall add the amount of the cost to consumer's bill, and if the amount is not paid, the town shall discontinue service to consumer.
(K) If the seal of a meter is broken by anyone other than the town's representative, consumer shall pay an amount estimated from the record of consumer's previous bills or from other proper data.
(L) If a meter fails to register or stops for any cause for which consumer is not responsible, consumer shall pay an amount estimated from the record of consumer's previous bills or from other proper data until the meter is repaired or replaced.
(Res. 2767, passed 4-17-14; Am. Ord. 846, passed 4-17-14)