A. Delinquency; Late Payment Penalty; Water Shutoff:
1. Bills will be rendered each month except for billings under subsection 8-1-7H of this Chapter.
2. All bills shall become due on and delinquent after the fifteenth day the bill is mailed. If not timely paid, an additional ten percent (10%) will be added as late penalty.
3. In addition to the amounts becoming a lien on the property, service shall be shut off from the delinquent property and restored only upon payment of the delinquent amounts plus the cost of reconnection or any additional deposits required.
4. Except as otherwise provided, if payment is not made by the date specified in the termination notice, then service may be terminated on or after the date specified which shall be at least fifteen (15) days after the termination notice was mailed.
B. Deferred Payment Plan: The City shall attempt to arrange with every nonchronically delinquent residential customer who expresses an inability to pay his water charges, a deferred payment plan for the payment of past due water charges. The plan need not be signed by both parties; however, the City shall maintain a record of the essential provisions of the plan, which record shall be conclusive as to the plan agreed upon. In the event the customer fails to comply with the plan agreed upon, then the City shall terminate service; however, not until after giving five (5) days' written notice of termination.
C. Customer Complaint; Review By City:
1. In the event any customer complains that either: a) a proposed payment plan is unreasonable; b) a charge is not due and owing; or c) he has not violated any agreed upon repayment plan, then in such event a review of such customer's complaint shall be conducted by the City.
2. The review shall be conducted by the City Clerk-Treasurer or any person appointed by him who has the authority to rescind the termination order, correct charges, extend a repayment plan, or to take other appropriate action that he may deem appropriate.
3. The reviewing person shall take all circumstances into consideration and shall use his discretion in the review and try to accommodate customers who are in a temporarily difficult financial position and attempt to be fair and equitable, but not to allow customers who are unwilling to make a good faith effort to pay their utility charges to take advantage of the City and to assure that just and due bills are paid so as to avoid subsidization by those customers who pay readily of those customers who fail to do so.
D. Disagreement With Reviewing Person; Complaint To Council:
1. It is recognized that a customer may disagree with the conclusion of the reviewing person and that he has the right to make a complaint to the City Council.
2. The filing of such a complaint shall stay discontinuance of service until the City Council makes a decision which will be final, binding and not subject to appeal.
3. This provision shall not preclude the City from following normal termination procedures in the event a customer fails to pay a subsequent bill. This prohibition against termination shall not apply unless a dispute is in good faith.
E. Meter Failure; Billing On Estimated Consumption: In the event of the stoppage of, or the failure by, any meter to register the full amount of water consumed, or inaccessibility of meter, or failure by the City to read the meter, the customer will be billed for such period on an estimated consumption based upon the use of water in a similar period of like use pursuant to subsection 8-1-17B3 of this Chapter.
F. Water Turnoff For Nonpayment:
1. All water charges shall be charged against the property served and against the owner thereof, and if for any reason any sums owing therefor become delinquent, the water shall be cut off and in no case shall it be turned on the same property until such delinquencies shall have been paid in full.
2. Change of ownership or occupation shall not affect the application of this Section.
G. Free Service Prohibited: The City will furnish no free service and if the City elects to use such services for Municipal purposes, it will budget and appropriate amounts to pay therefor at the same rate as is charged other customers for like or similar services. (Ord. 1985-01, 3-5-1985)