(a) There is hereby established a reduced rate (service availability rate) for residential and commercial water and sanitary sewer accounts during extended periods of vacancy of one (1) continuous billing cycle or more.
(b) The service availability rate shall be the current, appropriate minimum rate for water and sanitary sewer service.
(c) There will be a non-refundable service availability rate administration fee established by resolution. This fee will be billed on the customer's utility bill and is required to convert a utility account from full rates to the service availability rate.
(d) The service availability rate will not be applied retroactively under any circumstances and shall become effective only upon notification to the city by the utility account owner (1) of the vacancy or (2) that the meter has been issued for new construction.
(e) The service availability rate may be prorated for the first and final billing periods of the actual vacant period.
(f) Any water usage during a full service availability rate billing cycle will cause the account to be converted to full rates for that corresponding billing cycle and future billing cycles.
(g) If utility account has been converted to full rates due to water usage, re-establishment of a new service availability rate period is required and any applicable fees will be assessed.
(h) The service availability rate shall not apply when a mobile home, building or other structure is removed from the property.
(Ord. No. 995, 11-5-04; Ord. No. 1164, 11-5-12)