(A) A customer utility account will be deemed delinquent on the twenty-third day following the date printed on the second consecutive monthly bill if neither monthly bill has been paid. The city will notify customers of a delinquency by mail, which notice shall include the total amount due and the date service may be suspended. Water service may be suspended on the eighth day after the date printed on the delinquency notice unless full payment, including all past due and current charges, is received. Wastewater collection, wastewater treatment and garbage pickup service will continue uninterrupted. To avoid water service suspension, customers may make arrangements with the Utility Billing Department prior to the payment due date indicated on the delinquency notice.
(B) Unpaid utility bills shall become a lien or property tax assessment upon any and all property for which utility service is provided, and such bill and lien shall be enforceable against the owner of the property.
(C) Suspended water service will not be reinstated until all utility bills, fees, charges, rentals and meter deposits have been paid in full. Reinstatement will occur within 12 hours of full payment.
(D) Monthly connection fees will continue to be assessed even after service is suspended due to nonpayment.
(E) In the event the account holder and the property owner are not the same person and the account holder becomes delinquent on three consecutive occasions, a notice and final bill will be sent to the account holder and the property owner. At the end of the then current billing cycle, the account will be transferred into the property owner’s name and will become the property owner’s obligation.
(F) The Finance Officer shall develop an administrative utility collection procedure policy to implement procedures concerning this section.
(G) (1) It is the policy of the city 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 city’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:
(a) That all bills are due and payable on or before the date set forth on the bill;
(b) 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
(c) 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 city 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.
(2) 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 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.
(3) When it becomes necessary for the city 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 in the sum of $20.
(Prior Code, § 18-282) (Ord. 1202, passed 11-17-2014; Ord. 1208, passed 3-3-2015)