(A) Deposits. A deposit may be required of any consumer of any town-operated or town-furnished utility, as reflected and provided in the rate schedules established and adopted by the Town Council from time to time.
(Prior Code, § 28-34)
(B) Payment of bills for utility services.
(1) All bills for water, sewer, and electric services furnished by the town shall be due and payable prior to midnight of the tenth day of each month; provided however, if the tenth day of such month shall fall on a Sunday or a legal holiday observed by the town, then such bill shall be due and payable by midnight of the next town workday of such month.
(2) If such bills are not paid within the period above set forth, a penalty of 10% of the total due shall be added to the amount due for each billing. The town further reserves the right to discontinue utility service to the consumer and to hold any deposit which may have been made until such bill and penalty have been paid.
(Prior Code, § 28-36)
(C) (1) 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 that:
(a) All bills are due and payable on or before the date set forth on the bill;
(b) 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) 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.
(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 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 in the sum of $20.
(Ord. 12-76A, passed 12-11-1976)