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(a) For any water furnished, the City Council shall fix a reasonable rate based on the size of the meter, the number of connections or any other special considerations. Special rates may be established by the City Council to meet special circumstances or situations where, in its judgment, a special rate is deemed proper and advisable.
(b) Where sewage disposal service is furnished to users not connected to the water system, and no meter is used to measure the quantity of water used, or in cases where users make use of large quantities of water which may be discharged into storm sewers, or for other miscellaneous users of water for which special considerations should be given, special rates may be fixed by the City Council.
(c) All rates fixed shall at all times be adequate to avoid impairing the rights of the holders of any revenue bonds of the City which may then be outstanding and unredeemed.
(d) There shall be a water turn-on charge, after a customer has requested that the water be turned off, as determined by resolution of the City Council.
(Ord. 23L. Passed 12-18-95.)
(a) All residences will be visited monthly by City employees for the purpose of reading water meters. Commercial establishments may have their meters read on a monthly basis by special arrangement. At residences where meters are not accessible to the City employees, and the residents are apparently not home, a notification will be left for the residents to read their own meters and either mail or telephone the reading to the City offices within five working days. When no response is received within the appointed time, the reading will be estimated at the highest monthly usage during the preceding four quarters. Any adjustment as a result of overestimating will be made on subsequent monthly billings.
(b) Bills for water service and sewage disposal service shall be due and payable on the date specified on the bill. There shall be added to all bills not paid by the fifth day of the month, after the bill is sent, a penalty of ten percent of the amount of the bill, plus interest of one percent per month until the bill is either paid or placed on the tax roll of the City. The Superintendent shall have charge of the reading of all meters. The City shall keep a record of all meter readings and shall maintain accounts of the charges for water and sewer service furnished to all premises and shall render bills for the same. All water and sewer charges shall be collected under the direction of the City Treasurer, who shall have the same credited to the proper accounts. Such billings shall be payable at the City office. All meter readings shall be initialed by the person taking the reading.
The Department is hereby authorized to enforce the payment of charges for water service to any premises by discontinuing the water service to such premises, and the payment of charges for sewage disposal service to any premises may be enforced by discontinuing either the water service or the sewage disposal service to such premises, or both, and an action of assumpsit may be instituted by the City against the customer. The charges for water service and sewage disposal service, which, under the provisions of Act 94 of the Public Acts of 1933, as amended, are made a lien on the premises to which furnished, are hereby recognized to constitute such a lien. The City shall, annually, on April 1, certify all unpaid charges for such services furnished to any premises which, on the March 31 preceding, have remained unpaid for a period of six months, to the City Assessor who shall place the same on the next tax roll of the City. Such charges so assessed shall be collected in the same manner as are general City taxes. In cases where the City is properly notified, in accordance with said Act 94 of 1933, that a tenant is responsible for water or sewage disposal service charges, no such service shall be commenced or continued to such premises until there has been deposited with the Department a sum sufficient to cover two times the average quarterly bill for such premises as estimated by the City, such deposit to be in no case less than ten dollars ($10.00). Where the water service to any premises is turned off to enforce the payment of water service charges or sewage disposal service charges, the water service shall not be recommenced until all delinquent charges have been paid and a deposit as in the case of tenants is made. There shall be a water turn-on charge of ten dollars ($10.00). In any other case where, in the discretion of the City, the collection of charges for water or sewage disposal service may be difficult or uncertain, the City may require a similar deposit. Such deposits may be applied against any delinquent water or sewage disposal service charges of the depositor, and the application thereof shall not affect the right of the Department to turn off the water service and/or sewer service, to any premises for any delinquency thereby satisfied. No such deposit shall bear interest, and such deposit, or any remaining balance thereof, shall be returned to the customer making the same when he or she shall discontinue receiving water and sewage disposal service or, except as to tenants as to whom notice of responsibility for such charges has been filed with the City, when any eight successive quarterly bills shall have been paid by said customer with no delinquency.(Ord. 23B. Passed 1-4-82.)