(a) The Village may discontinue any customer's service whose account is in delinquent status only after following the procedures set forth below.
(b) All utility disconnections shall occur during normal Village business hours and only after a seven-day written notice (herein “Disconnection Notice”) of intent to discontinue utility service has been sent via U.S. regular mail to the customer at the billing address set forth on the customer's account. If the billing address is not the premises where the utility service is provided, then the disconnection notice shall also be mailed via U.S. regular mail to the premises where the utility service is being provided. If the service address is a rental property, the property owner will also be notified. After the passage of seven days from the date of the letter, if the account remains delinquent and no payment plan has been executed, the designated workers of the Village may enter the premises where such utility service is being provided, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and disconnect any and all meters, conduits or attachments from the mains, pipes or lines of the Village.
(c) The disconnection notice shall state all of the following:
(1) The reason for the disconnection of service;
(2) The amount of any delinquency;
(3) That the customer may submit a written request for special payment arrangements, appeal the reason for the disconnection, seek relief due to an existing health condition or pending bankruptcy;
(4) Instructions regarding filing a written request for a payment plan or an appeal of the disconnection notice;
(5) The time period in which any such written request must be made to the Finance Director;
(6) The name and number of the Village contact to address questions related to the customer's account; and
(7) The date after which utility services will be disconnected (herein “Disconnection Date”).
(d) On the disconnection date, the Village shall provide the customer with a personal notice of the discontinuation of utility service by delivering a copy of the disconnection notice to the premises where the utility service is to be disconnected. This personal notice shall contain the same information as the disconnection notice with the exception of the availability of a hearing. If the customer is not available at the service location, the Village shall provide the personal notice to an adult consumer at the premises. If neither the customer nor an adult consumer is available, the Village shall attach the personal notice to the premises in a conspicuous location prior to disconnecting the service.
(e) Any customer who is on an approved payment plan to correct a delinquent account must pay, by the applicable due date, all amounts due and owing for all utility services provided from the approval date of the payment plan forward into the future. If a customer defaults on any payment set forth in the payment plan or the customer's account otherwise becomes delinquent during the term of any payment plan, the Village may disconnect the utility services of such customer after providing 48-hour written notice to the customer. This notice shall be personally served upon the customer, or if the customer is not at the service address, then by posting said notice is a conspicuous location at the service address. This notice shall state that utility service to the premises shall be terminated by the disconnection date set forth in the notice unless the customer's account is brought current prior to the disconnection date.
(f) Any notice of disconnection of service issued to a customer who is not the owner of the premises shall also be copied to the property owner or designated agent. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to provide the Village with the correct contact information for this notification.
(Ord. 2005-06. Passed 6-6-05; Ord. 2015-06. Passed 5-18-15.)