(A) Unless specifically provided elsewhere, all water bills shall be computed on a monthly or bimonthly basis as determined by the Village Treasurer. The Village shall be divided into districts for the purposes of issuing water bills. Boundaries of the districts may be changed from time to time as deemed necessary by the Village Treasurer.
(B) Water bills shall be due and payable at the Office of the Village Treasurer no later than twenty one (21) days after said bill is rendered. For any bill remaining unpaid after the twenty first day, there shall be added a penalty in the amount of ten percent (10%). All bills remaining unpaid twenty (20) days after the penalty date shall be deemed delinquent.
Customers who have not caused a penalty to be assessed during the prior twelve (12) month period may be granted a waiver of one penalty charge, per twelve (12) month period. For purposes of this section, the waiver of penalty must be requested in writing by the customer and directed to the Village Treasurer not more than sixty (60) days after the penalty has been added. The waiver shall not be granted for the fee applied to delinquent accounts in subsection (C) of this section. The waiver may apply to all customers, residential and commercial.
(C) When any residential, commercial or other water bill becomes delinquent, a “notice of discontinuance of water service” (shutoff notice) shall be forwarded to the water customer, by certified mail which will include a signed return receipt. The customer will be charged a twenty five dollar ($25.00) fee for this service. The notice shall contain the total amount, which is due within ten (10) days of the date of the notice to avoid the termination of water service.
(D) Should the water bill remain unpaid after the due date specified in the shutoff notice, as provided in subsection (C) of this section, it shall be the duty of the Village Treasurer to notify the Village Public Works Department to terminate water service as soon as practicable. Notices will be posted on the front door of single-family dwellings. In the case of multiple-family dwellings or commercial buildings, Village public works employees will post the expected date of water service termination on both the front and rear doors of the premises, if accessible, as well as on the doorways of all tenants, if accessible, forty eight (48) hours before actual termination occurs. An administrative/notice fee shall be assessed against the owner upon the posting of such notices, regardless of whether service is subsequently terminated, in the following amounts:
1. A fifty dollar ($50.00) fee assessed on single-family premises;
2. A one hundred fifty dollar ($150.00) fee assessed on multiple- family premises (up to 4 units, with an additional fee of $25.00 charged for every unit above 4); and
3. A one hundred fifty dollar ($150.00) fee assessed on commercial premises.
(E) Following termination, water service shall not be restored until all unpaid water bill arrearages have been paid, including all penalties, charges and administrative/notice fees, plus payment of a service restoration fee as set forth in section 8-6-5 of this chapter.
(F) The village treasurer or his or her designee is authorized to settle all disputes regarding water billings or payments thereof on behalf of the village.
1. Any person liable for a water bill, related charges or a late penalty may contact the village treasurer via telephone at the village, to informally discuss and attempt to resolve any disputed charges, fee or late penalty.
2. In the event that the owner or occupant of any premises desires to formally dispute the imposition of a particular charge, fee or late payment penalty, he or she may request an appeal hearing. Each hearing must be requested in writing within ten (10) days of the date of the bill or notice of other disputed fee or charge.
3. The village treasurer is the designated hearing officer for such hearings. Owners or occupants wishing to avail themselves of a hearing will be given seven (7) days’ advance written notice of the time and place of such hearing by the village treasurer.
4. At the hearing, the petitioning party may present evidence concerning the accuracy of the charge, fee or late penalty, and a representative of the village may present evidence in support of the charge, fee or late penalty. The village treasurer may waive late penalties in accordance with subsection (B) of this section.
5. Within three (3) days following the hearing, the village treasurer shall make a written determination as to the accuracy of the charge, fee or late penalty. If the village treasurer determines that imposition of the particular charge, fee or late penalty is appropriate, the owner or occupant will have ten (10) days following the hearing to pay such penalty in full. If, during the five (5) day period after the village treasurer’s determination, the owner or occupant disagrees with the determination, he may appeal the decision to the village manager. Failure to appeal within five (5) days shall cause the decision of the village treasurer to become a final decision. The village manager shall review the evidence submitted at the previous hearing, and shall make a determination. The village manager’s determination shall be final and not subject to further appeal. After a determination by the village manager that imposition of the charge, fee or late penalty is appropriate, or of any other determination, the owner or occupant shall have ten (10) days following the determination to pay in full.
(G) There shall be added an insufficient funds processing fee in accordance with section 2-12-8 of this code.
(H) Where delinquencies exist, a lien against the property receiving the water service may be filed with the Cook County recorder of deeds. The lien notice shall contain a legal description of the property served with water by the village, the amount of the delinquent charges, and an assertion that all water served to the property subsequent to the unpaid bill amount shall be included. A copy of the lien notice shall be forwarded to the owner of the property. (Ord. 2828, 11-7-2013; amd. Ord. 4027, 8-18-2022)