(A) Monthly bills. The Town Council shall have the authority to set monthly water rates and fees by resolution. All such monthly bills shall be due and payable by the property owner or occupant of the property on or before the twentieth day following the billing date. A delinquency fee will be assessed for each 30-day period or any portion of the 30-day period wherein the billing is delinquent after the twentieth day following the billing date.
(B) Disconnection for late payment. It is the policy of the town to discontinue utility service to customers by reason of nonpayment of bills only after notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard on disputed bills. The town’s form for application for utility service and all bills shall contain, in addition to the title, address, room number, and telephone number of the official in charge of billing, clearly visible and easily readable provisions to the effect:
(1) That all bills are due and payable on or before the date set forth on the bill;
(2) That if any bill is not paid by or before that date, a second bill will be mailed containing a cutoff notice that if the bill is not paid within ten days of the mailing of the second bill, service will be discontinued for nonpayment; and
(3) That any customer disputing the correctness of his or her bill shall have a right to a hearing at which time he or she may be represented in person and 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 customer’s service not be discontinued and shall have the authority to make a final determination of the customer’s complaint.
(C) Relevant evidence. Requests for delays or waiver of payment will not be entertained; only questions of proper and correct billing will be considered. In the absence of payment of the bill rendered or request for 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.
(D) Reinstatement. When it becomes necessary for the town to discontinue utility service to a customer 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.
(E) Availability and commodity charges.
(1) Availability charge. Minimum charges for providing water services shall be assessed monthly, whether or not the property is occupied or water services are in use.
(a) Individually metered services. Each individually metered single-family residence, mobile home, living unit, apartment, condominium, townhouse, individual commercial establishment, industrial facility, or other similar type unit shall pay an availability charge per meter per month.
(b) Master metered services. Each facility including, but not limited to, mobile home courts, multi-family residential units, or commercial and industrial facilities which are divided into separate units or provide for more than one use and are serviced through a master meter shall pay an availability charge per unit or per use.
(2) Commodity charge. The rates referenced by this chapter shall be on file in the office of the Town Clerk-Treasurer, as revised from time to time by resolution of the Town Council.
(3) Waived fees. This section does not affect or waive any fees or charges due and owed to the town for water services provided before the effective date of this section.
(4) Copies of rates. The Town Clerk-Treasurer shall provide a copy of water service rates, without charge, to any person requesting the same in person or electronically during normal business hours at or from the Town Hall. The Town Clerk-Treasurer may provide copies of these rates to persons requesting the same by mail upon receipt of payment, in advance, of an amount sufficient to pay the costs of postage.
(Prior Code, § 9-1-4) (Ord. 370, passed 5-2-2013; Res. 2023-02, passed 2-2-2023; Ord. 2024-01, passed 4-4-2024)