[R.O. 2001 § 700.010; CC 1984 § 110.010]
The Mayor shall supervise all municipal utilities and shall
be empowered himself/herself or by a designated employee to conduct
any meetings or hearings with users of municipal services pursuant
to this Chapter.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.020; CC 1984 § 110.020]
[R.O. 2001 § 700.030; CC 1984 § 110.030]
The City shall furnish utility service from any of its utilities
to customers only upon the expressed conditions precedent that the
City will not be liable to consumer or other person for an inconvenience,
delay, injury, loss or damage whatsoever occurring by reason of derangements,
stoppage, leak, fault or negligent construction or operation of any
of the utility equipment apparatus distribution means, pipes or lines,
or by reason of the temporary shutting off of any of the utility services
to clear or repair the same or for any other purpose, or by reason
of the scarcity or insufficiency of the particular utility service
supply, or the character or condition of the water or electricity
supply, or by reason of the clogging or freezing of the mains or service
pipes, or the disruptions of distribution due to weather or other
acts of God; nor shall the City be liable for the expense or repair
of any service, pipes, mains or lines owned by the City. The City
reserves the right at any time to restrict the use of any utility
service for any and all purposes. The Mayor may, if he/she determines
it necessary, impose a system of rationing or otherwise restrict the
delivery of any or all utility services to a consumer.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.040; CC 1984 § 110.040]
The City Collector shall register all applications for the supply
of any utility service, keep a full and accurate account of all utility
services provided, promptly collect all utility charges and pay the
same to the Treasurer and report to the Board of Aldermen monthly
all monies received.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.050; CC 1984 § 110.050]
All applications for utility services, or any utility service,
shall be made in writing at the City Hall to the City Collector or
a designated employee upon an appropriate blank form furnished by
the City. The application, in writing, shall plainly show the charges
to be made for the installation of the utility service by the City,
and such charges shall be paid by the applicant at the time. The application
shall also show the deposits required, the conditions under which
deposits may be returned, and such deposits shall be paid by the applicant
at that time. It shall be expressly understood, and shall be made
a part of the application, that as a consideration for the division
of the particular utility service and all utility services within
the City, incorporated within said contract, shall be the requirements
of this Chapter, and every person by applying for said utility service,
and accepting such services has thereby expressed his/her assent to
be bound thereby. The applicant shall be furnished a copy of his/her
application, which shall serve as a receipt for this money paid.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.060; CC 1984 § 110.060]
All fees for connection to the water, electric or sewer systems
of the City shall be prescribed by the Mayor.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.070; CC 1984 § 110.070; Ord. No. 859 § 1, 4-10-2003; Ord. No. 1183, 7-7-2022]
A.
Before any utility service is furnished to any consumer, he/she shall
be required to make a cash deposit to guarantee the payment for all
services as the bills, therefore, become due, for which a deposit
shall be given. Such deposit shall be as follows: thirty dollars ($30.00)
water, homeowner, residence; seventy dollars ($70.00) electricity,
homeowner, residence; one hundred twenty dollars ($120.00) water,
renter; two hundred eighty dollars ($280.00) electricity, renter;
sixty dollars ($60.00) water, commercial; and one hundred dollars
($100.00) electricity, commercial.
B.
In the event that any consumer who has applied for any utility service
and has any outstanding delinquent bills from any prior utility bookings
in the City, the deposit for this new service shall be double the
minimum deposits.
C.
If upon examination the collector at any time finds the amount deposited
by any water and/or electric user is not sufficient to cover the bills
for any two (2) consecutive months, such water and/or electricity
user shall, after forty-eight (48) hours written notice has been given,
be required to make an additional deposit in an amount sufficient
to cover the deficiency. Whenever a user of water and/or electricity
shall for any reason cease using water, upon complying with all rules,
regulations, and ordinances of the City governing the furnishing and
using of water and/or electricity and the payment of all bills and
charges therefore in full, shall, if a cash deposit has been made,
be entitled to have returned to him/her, upon the presentation of
his/her receipt, therefore, such deposit in accordance with the provisions
of this Section and such receipt shall thereupon be canceled.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.080; CC 1984 § 110.080]
A.
All water and electricity supplied by any City utility service shall
be charged for the same in accordance with the registration of the
meters installed by the City to record such provisions of service,
and charge shall be made in accordance with the registration of such
meters and the rates established under this Chapter and all bills
will be collected therefor in full; provided that when any such meter
by actual test as provided for in this Chapter is found to be imperfect
and fast in measurement of the service by more than two percent (2%),
the cost of the excess amount of services as represented by the imperfection
of such meter shall be deducted from the total amount of the bill
for the meter reading period for which such bill is rendered.
B.
Employees of any municipal utility may at any time and with or without
the knowledge or consent of any consumer install an additional meter
at any location where such meter may be connected into the service
to any building, dwelling, house or premises of any kind to which
the City is furnishing utility service, and when such meter shall
for any period register more utilities than are registered by the
meter on the premises of the consumer, it shall be taken as evidence
that the service being furnished to such consumer is not being properly
metered by the first meter on the consumer's premises, and the consumer
shall pay for all utilities registered over any period by the second
or additional meter so installed, instead of the amount that has been
improperly registered by his/her regular meter.
C.
All electric meters furnished by the City shall remain the property
of the City, and City employees shall at all times have access to
replace or remove any meters or accessories or other property of the
City. The City may furnish an outdoor meter box or receptacle by which
the meter be attached to a conduit. Consumers shall provide space
on the outside of the building to which the electric service is furnished,
for the attaching of such box or receptacle, in a place easily accessible
to the meter reader and approved by the Mayor, and the consumer shall
install conduit and wires connecting such box or receptacle with the
junction service box which serves the wiring in the building or premises.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.090; CC 1984 § 110.090]
A.
Should any consumer desire to challenge the accuracy of any meter
supplied by the City, he/she may do so on request and on payment of
an inspection fee. Inspection fee shall be designated to cover the
cost of testing the meter and shall roughly approximate the cost of
the City. This fee shall be set, from time to time, by the Mayor.
Should the meter be found to be imperfect and fast in measurement
of the service by more than two percent (2%), the cost of said test
shall be paid by the City and the inspection fee be refunded to customer.
Should the test show the meter is correct in the margin of error of
two percent (2%), the cost of the excess amount of services shall
not be adjusted, and the inspection fee shall be retained by the City.
Should the inspection show that the meter is imperfect and slow in
measurement of the service by more than two percent (2%), there shall
be no adjustment of prior billings, and the inspection fee will be
retained by the City.
B.
No consumer shall require a test of any meter more often than once
in six (6) months. At the request of the consumer a written report
showing the result of such test shall be given the consumer requesting
the same.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.100; CC 1984 § 110.100]
A.
The City Collector shall generate for each utility customer a bill
for his/her utility service monthly. Said bills shall be available
for pickup at City Hall or mailed to customers at their request.
1.
Each customer shall be billed monthly for all utility services,
in writing. Such bill shall be due and payable on the 10th day of
the month. Non-payment by the due date shall result in a ten percent
(10%) penalty.
2.
Any person who does not pay his/her utility service charge or
charges by the 25th day of the month shall be subject to termination
of all utilities and services.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.110; CC 1984 § 110.110]
A.
Any or all utility services may be discontinued without notice to
the customer for the following reasons:
[R.O. 2001 § 700.115; Ord. No.
801 § 1, 5-2-1996]
In the event a customer fails to pay a bill incurred on one
(1) account and service is terminated, then any amounts due and owing
on the disconnected account shall be added to the billing for services
at any other address for which the customer is responsible (the "remaining
accounts"). If any such remaining accounts thereafter shall become
delinquent and remain unpaid, then service shall be terminated on
the remaining accounts under the procedures as provided for in this
Section.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.120; CC 1984 § 110.120]
All bills for service charges furnished by the City may be estimated
when, by reason of defect in or failure to read the appropriate meter
or for any other reason, the monthly bill of the user or customer
cannot be accurately determined. The City Collector shall make such
estimate, considering the average consumption of the user over the
previous twelve (12) months' period, considering the relative use
of such utility service within the City as a whole for the period
of time in question, and considering such other factors as the City
Collector may deem appropriate. Such estimated bills shall be due
and payable as are all other bills rendered under this Chapter.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.130; CC 1984 § 110.130]
Any person who, by reason of financial or other hardship, is
unable to pay any utility bill prior to the termination date may be
granted by the Mayor such additional period as the Mayor may deem
appropriate in which to pay his/her delinquent account, provided that
the Mayor may not grant to any customer the right to pay his/her utility
bill past the date when the next month's utility bill would be presented
to said customer.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.140; CC 1984 § 110.150]
Upon disconnection of a user's water, sewer or electrical service, any and all amounts owed by the user to the City for the provision of such shall become due and payable within thirty (30) days. The City, in notice which sets forth the terms of reconnection of such service, shall indicate to the user that the user must pay the entire amount due the City for services in the billing period in which the disconnection took place, plus any past due amounts within thirty (30) days, or the Mayor shall direct that amount deposited by the user upon connection (listed in Section 700.070) to the utilities shall be apportioned to insure the payments of any amount due to the City from the user, plus a ten percent (10%) penalty on the amount due to the City. If the user fails to pay the amount due within thirty (30) days of the disconnection, the Mayor shall apportion said deposits consistent with the provisions of this Section and shall direct the return of any excess to the user, without interest. If the deposits are insufficient to pay the amount due to the City from the user, the City shall, upon a final settlement of the user's account, demand a reasonable amount for expenses incurred in the collection of the user's account.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.150; CC 1984 § 110.160; Ord. No. 802, 8-2-1996]
Whenever a user of the City utility service shall for any reason
cease to use the service and payment of all bills and charges there
is paid in full by the user, the City shall refund to such user upon
presentation of the receipt therefor any amount of such utility deposit,
without interest, which has not been applied against a delinquent
utility bill of said user.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.160; CC 1984 § 110.170]
The City Collector is authorized and empowered to levy and collect
a charge of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) from each user of electricity
or water furnished by the City whose electricity or water has been
cut off for the failure on the part of the user to pay promptly the
monthly charge levied for the use of such electricity or water during
normal business hours. A charge of fifty dollars ($50.00) will be
made for turning on electricity or water after normal business hours
or on holidays.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.170; CC 1984 § 110.180]
The Mayor and the various persons employed by him/her in the
line of duty shall at all reasonable hours have free access to all
parts of any building, dwelling, house or premises of any kind to
which service is furnished for the purpose of installing, examining
or repairing or removing any poles, wires, meter or other material
or appliances belonging to the City, or to read meters, turn on or
cut off service, or for any other purpose that may be deemed essential
for the preservation of such property, prevention of waste or collection
of revenue.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.180; CC 1984 § 110.190]
No electrical energy or water service shall be again furnished
to premises or to customers whose service has therefor been discontinued
until all applicable delinquent bills are paid in full, all deposits
required are paid and the applicable reconnect fee is paid in full.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.190; CC 1984 § 110.200]
The owner of any premises which is supplied with electricity
or water shall be liable for charges of the electricity or water used
or other expenses in connection with such utility services. In case
of tenants, if such seems for any reason cannot be collected from
the occupants of the premises, the charges shall become a lien against
the property, notwithstanding the said premises may have changed ownership.
However, if a tenant moves from one (1) premises to another in the
City and has an unpaid utility charge, no application shall be granted
until said tenant has satisfied the claim.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.200; CC 1984 § 110.210]
The property owner will be given written notice if the tenant's
water and electric bills become more than sixty (60) days delinquent.
A copy of the disconnection notice will also be sent to the property
owner.
[R.O. 2001 § 700.210; CC 1984 § 110.220]
All materials used in water, sewer and electrical extensions
shall meet City's requirements and regulations.
