[R.O. 2011 §66.010; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord.
No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012]
All accounts for City water shall be due and payable upon receipt
of a billing notice from the City.
[R.O. 2011 §67.200; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord.
No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012]
A.
No
water service shall be provided to any new customer until such customer
places a deposit of fifty dollars ($50.00) for an owner-occupied dwelling
or one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for renter-occupied dwelling
with the Utility Clerk.
1.
All water deposits shall be retained by the City until the customer
has ordered service to be discontinued, and there is no outstanding
balance due on the account.
2.
If any customer, upon termination of water service for any reason,
has an account for water which is due and payable, then the City may
apply such customer's deposit as a whole or partial payment on said
customer's obligation with the City.
3.
All water deposits shall be credited to the Utility Department deposit
account.
[R.O. 2011 §66.020; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord.
No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012; Ord. No. 2640 §3, 4-7-2014; Ord. No. 2662 §3, 2-17-2015]
A.
Delinquency. Billing for same shall be sent to each
customer within three (3) days after readings are complete. All bills
not paid before 12:01 A.M. the 16th day of the month, as herein provided,
shall be delinquent and subject to penalty as provided by ordinance.
B.
Collections. Should an account remain outstanding
for a period of sixty (60) days, the account will be submitted to
a collection agency for collection. All such collection costs, as
well as any costs pertaining to adjudication, will be borne by the
debtor.
C.
Write-offs. Should an account remain outstanding
for a period of five (5) years, the account shall be written off as
uncollectible.
D.
Unverifiable Accounts. Delinquent accounts transferred
from the "old system" which are unverifiable shall be written off
as uncollectible.
E.
Payment Request -- Water Service Unpaid. If the
water service has been disconnected because the water and/or sewer
bill has not been paid, the water service shall not be turned on until
the charges have been paid. This Subsection also applies to accounts
which have been previously written off as uncollectible.
F.
Settlements. When the City Administrator and a customer
arrive at a mutually satisfactory settlement of a disputed amount,
or the customer does not dispute liability to the utility, but claims
inability to pay the outstanding bill in full, the City Administrator
and the customer may enter into a written settlement agreement. The
decision to enter into a settlement agreement shall be at the sole
discretion of the City.
G.
Delinquent
charges for water or sewer service shall be a lien upon the real estate
to which such services were furnished upon the recording of a notice
of delinquency with the Andrew County Recorder of Deeds. If such charges
are paid in full, the City shall record a release of lien. The lien
created herein may be enforced by suit or foreclosure.
[Ord. No. 2840, 5-15-2023]
[R.O. 2011 §66.021; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord.
No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012]
A.
The
City shall have the right to disconnect or refuse to connect or reconnect
any utility service:
1.
To any person who fails to comply with the provisions of State laws
or City ordinances, or rules and regulations concerning the payment
of property taxes;
2.
To any property which does not meet the provisions of State law or
City ordinances, rules and regulations; or
3.
Which utility does not meet the provisions of State law or City ordinances,
rules or regulations.
[R.O. 2011 §66.022; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord.
No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012]
No remedy is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy, but
each remedy now or hereafter available shall be cumulative and in
addition to every other remedy and may be exercised without exhausting
and without regard to any other available remedy.
[R.O. 2011 §66.030; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord.
No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012]
Should any customer or customers fail or refuse to pay such
utility bill when the same shall have become due as herein provided,
then the City shall cause utility service to such customer to be discontinued.
However, prior to discontinuance a notice shall be mailed by the Utility
Clerk of the City to the delinquent customer.
[Ord. No. 2586 §§1 —
2, 12-17-2012; Ord. No.
2745, 12-18-2017]
A.
The
notice shall be addressed to such customer at the address provided
by the customer, and a copy of the notice shall be addressed to the
property owner/landlord at the address provided by the property owner/landlord
from the Utility Clerk, after the sixteenth (16th) of the month, but
before discontinuance of service;
1.
That his/her utility account with the City is delinquent stating
the amount plus penalty;
2.
Informing the customer that payment of the delinquency must be made
before the disconnect date; and
3.
That unless payment has been made by 10:00 A.M. the day of cutoff,
utility service will be discontinued.
[R.O. 2011 §66.031; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord.
No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012]
A ten percent (10%) penalty will be added to all delinquent
utility bills if not paid by the fifteenth (15th) day of the month.
Penalty and service charges shall be deposited to the Water and Surplus
Fund.
[R.O. 2011 §66.040; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord.
No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012]
On or about the twenty-second (22nd) day of each month, the
Utility Clerk shall deliver to the Director of Public Works the names
of all customers who are to be disconnected because of failure to
pay delinquent accounts, after notice, and it shall be the duty of
the Superintendent to disconnect such customer or customers.
[R.O. 2011 §66.050; Ord. No. 2295 §1, 7-10-2006; Ord. No. 2413 §1, 1-5-2009; Ord. No. 2586 §§1 — 2, 12-17-2012; Ord. No. 2673 §§1 — 3, 8-17-2015]
A.
After
service has been disconnected for non-payment, water will not be restored
until the next business day as herein provided; a customer can only
restore service by:
[Ord. No. 2586 §§1 —
2, 12-17-2012; Ord. No. 2823, 5-16-2022]
A.
Payment
arrangements shall only be granted in the event of a water service
line break.
1.
In the event a customer's private service line breaks, and an extraordinary
amount of water is discharged through the break, a payment arrangement
with the City may be made.
a.
Documentation that verifies a break in the private service distribution
system occurred and was repaired must be presented to City staff:
(1)
A photograph (or other evidence) indicating the general area
of the break and/or work being performed;
(2)
An invoice for labor and/or parts used to repair the break;
or
(3)
Failures in the dwelling's interior plumbing system will not
be eligible for payment arrangements (for example: leaking toilet
or faucet, broken hot water heater, malfunctioning dishwasher, etc.).
b.
A payment of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per month in addition
to the payment of the regular monthly utility bill must be made for
bills of eight hundred dollars ($800.00) or less resulting from water
service line breaks.
c.
The City Administrator may negotiate a payment plan for bills in
excess of eight hundred dollars ($800.00) resulting from a water service
line break.
2.
All payment arrangements must be approved by the City Administrator.
[R.O. 2011 §66.100; Ord. No. 2407 §1, 10-20-2008]
The City of Savannah ("Utility") developed this Identity Theft
Prevention Program ("program") pursuant to the Federal Trade Commission's
Red Flag Rule ("Rule") which implements Section 114 of the Fair and
Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 16 C.F.R. Section 681.2.
This program was developed with oversight and approval of the Board
of Aldermen. After consideration of the size and complexity of the
Utility's operations and account systems, and the nature and scope
of the Utility's activities, the Board of Aldermen determined that
this program was appropriate for the City of Savannah, and therefore
approved this program on October 20, 2008.
[R.O. 2011 §66.120; Ord. No. 2407 §1, 10-20-2008]
A.
Fulfilling Requirements Of The Red Flag Rule. Under the
Red Flag Rule, every financial institution and creditor is required
to establish an "Identity Theft Prevention Program" tailored to its
size, complexity and the nature of its operation. Each program must
contain reasonable policies and procedures to:
1.
Identify relevant red flags for new and existing covered accounts
and incorporate those red flags into the program;
2.
Detect red flags that have been incorporated into the program;
3.
Respond appropriately to any red flags that are detected to prevent
and mitigate identity theft; and
4.
Ensure the program is updated periodically to reflect changes in
risks to customers or to the safety and soundness of the creditor
from identity theft.
B.
Red Flag Rule Definitions Used In This Program. The Red
Flag Rule defines "identity theft" as "fraud committed
using the identifying information of another person" and a "red flag" as a pattern, practice, or specific activity
that indicates the possible existence of identity theft.
According to the Rule, a municipal utility is a creditor subject
to the Rule requirements. The Rule defines "creditors" to include "finance companies, automobile dealers, mortgage brokers,
utility companies, and telecommunications companies. Where non-profit
and government entities defer payment for goods or services, they
too are to be considered creditors".
All the Utility's accounts that are individual utility service
accounts held by customers of the Utility whether residential, commercial
or industrial are covered by the Rule. Under the Rule, a "covered
account" is:
1.
Any account the Utility offers or maintains primarily for personal,
family or household purposes, that involves multiple payments or transactions;
and
2.
Any other account the Utility offers or maintains for which there
is a reasonably foreseeable risk to customers or to the safety and
soundness of the Utility from identity theft.
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"Identifying information" is defined under
the Rule as "any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction
with any other information, to identify a specific person" including:
name, address, telephone number, Social Security number, date of birth,
government issued driver's license or identification number, alien
registration number, government passport number, employer or taxpayer
identification number, unique electronic identification number, computer's
Internet Protocol address, or routing code.
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C.
Program Administrator. The City Administrator will serve
as the Program Administrator for the Identity Theft Program.
[R.O. 2011 §66.130; Ord. No. 2407 §1, 10-20-2008]
A.
General. In order to identify relevant red flags, the Utility
considers the types of accounts that it offers and maintains, the
methods it provides to open its accounts, the methods it provides
to access its accounts, and its previous experiences with identity
theft. The Utility identifies the following red flags in each of the
listed categories.
B.
Notifications And Warnings From Credit Reporting Agencies —
Red Flags.
1.
Report of fraud accompanying a credit report;
2.
Notice or report from a credit agency of a credit freeze on a customer
or applicant;
3.
Notice or report from a credit agency of an active duty alert for
an applicant; and
4.
Indication from a credit report of activity that is inconsistent
with a customer's usual pattern or activity.
C.
Suspicious Documents — Red Flags.
1.
Identification document or card that appears to be forged, altered
or inauthentic;
2.
Identification document or card on which a person's photograph or
physical description is not consistent with the person presenting
the document;
3.
Other document with information that is not consistent with existing
customer information (such as if a person's signature on a check appears
forged); and
4.
Application for service that appears to have been altered or forged.
D.
Suspicious Personal Identifying Information — Red Flags.
1.
Identifying information presented that is inconsistent with other
information the customer provides (example: inconsistent birth dates);
2.
Identifying information presented that is inconsistent with other
sources of information (for instance, an address not matching an address
on a credit report);
3.
Identifying information presented that is the same as information
shown on other applications that were found to be fraudulent;
4.
Identifying information presented that is consistent with fraudulent
activity (such as an invalid phone number or fictitious billing address);
5.
Social Security number presented that is the same as one given by
another customer;
6.
An address or phone number presented that is the same as that of
another person;
7.
A person fails to provide complete personal identifying information
on an application when reminded to do so (however, by law Social Security
numbers must not be required); and
8.
A person's identifying information is not consistent with the information
that is on file for the customer.
E.
Suspicious Account Activity Or Unusual Use Of Account — Red
Flags.
1.
Change of address for an account followed by a request to change
the account holder's name;
2.
Payments stop on an otherwise consistently up-to-date account;
3.
Account used in a way that is not consistent with prior use (example:
very high activity);
4.
Mail sent to the account holder is repeatedly returned as undeliverable;
5.
Notice to the Utility that a customer is not receiving mail sent
by the Utility;
6.
Notice to the Utility that an account has unauthorized activity;
7.
Breach in the Utility's computer system security; and
8.
Unauthorized access to or use of customer account information.
[R.O. 2011 §66.140; Ord. No. 2407 §1, 10-20-2008]
A.
New Accounts. In order to detect any of the red flags identified
above associated with the opening of a new account, Utility personnel
will take the following steps to obtain and verify the identity of
the person opening the account:
Detect:
1.
Require certain identifying information such as name, date of birth,
residential or business address, principal place of business for an
entity, driver's license or other identification;
2.
Verify the customer's identity (for instance, review a driver's license
or other identification card);
3.
Review documentation showing the existence of a business entity;
and
4.
Independently contact the customer.
B.
Existing Accounts. In order to detect any of the red flags
identified above for an existing account, Utility personnel will take
the following steps to monitor transactions with an account:
Detect:
[R.O. 2011 §66.150; Ord. No. 2407 §1, 10-20-2008]
A.
In
the event Utility personnel detect any identified red flags, such
personnel shall take one (1) or more of the following steps, depending
on the degree of risk posed by the red flag:
Prevent and Mitigate:
1.
Continue to monitor an account for evidence of identity theft;
2.
Contact the customer;
3.
Change any passwords or other security devices that permit access
to accounts;
4.
Not open a new account;
5.
Close an existing account;
6.
Reopen an account with a new number;
7.
Notify the Program Administrator for determination of the appropriate
step(s) to take;
8.
Notify law enforcement; or
9.
Determine that no response is warranted under the particular circumstances.
B.
Protect Customer Identifying Information. In order to further
prevent the likelihood of identity theft occurring with respect to
Utility accounts, the Utility will take the following steps with respect
to its internal operating procedures to protect customer identifying
information:
1.
Ensure that its website is secure or provide clear notice that the
website is not secure;
2.
Ensure complete and secure destruction of paper documents and computer
files containing customer information;
3.
Ensure that office computers are password protected and that computer
screens lock after a set period of time;
4.
Keep offices clear of papers containing customer information;
5.
Request only the last four (4) digits of Social Security numbers
(if any);
6.
Ensure computer virus protection is up-to-date; and
7.
Require and keep only the kinds of customer information that are
necessary for Utility purposes.
[R.O. 2011 §66.160; Ord. No. 2407 §1, 10-20-2008]
This program will be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect
changes in risks to customers and the soundness of the Utility from
identity theft. At least once a year, the Program Administrator will
consider the Utility's experiences with identity theft situation,
changes in identity theft methods, changes in identity theft detection
and prevention methods, changes in types of accounts the Utility maintains
and changes in the Utility's business arrangements with other entities.
After considering these factors, the Program Administrator will determine
whether changes to the program, including the listing of red flags,
are warranted. If warranted, the Program Administrator will update
the program or present the Board of Aldermen with his/her recommended
changes and the Board of Aldermen will make a determination of whether
to accept, modify or reject those changes to the program.
[R.O. 2011 §66.170; Ord. No. 2407 §1, 10-20-2008]
A.
Oversight. Responsibility for developing, implementing and
updating this program lies with an Identity Theft Committee for the
Utility. The Committee is headed by a Program Administrator who may
be the head of the Utility or his/her appointee. Two (2) or more other
individuals appointed by the head of the Utility or the Program Administrator
comprise the remainder of the Committee membership. The Program Administrator
will be responsible for the program administration, for ensuring appropriate
training of Utility staff on the program, for reviewing any staff
reports regarding the detection of red flags and the steps for preventing
and mitigating identity theft, determining which steps of prevention
and mitigation should be taken in particular circumstances and considering
periodic changes to the program.
B.
Staff Training And Reports. Utility staff responsible for
implementing the program shall be trained either by or under the direction
of the Program Administrator in the detection of red flags, and the
responsive steps to be taken when a red flag is detected. Training
will occur once a year. Staff will provide any applicable reports
to the Program Administrator on incidents of identity theft, the Utility's
compliance with the program and the effectiveness of the program.
C.
Service Provider Arrangements. In the event the Utility
engages a service provider to perform an activity in connection with
one (1) or more accounts, the Utility will take the following steps
to ensure the service provider performs its activity in accordance
with reasonable policies and procedures designed to detect, prevent,
and mitigate the risk of identity theft.
D.
Specific Program Elements And Confidentiality. For the
effectiveness of identity theft prevention programs, the Red Flag
Rule envisions a degree of confidentiality regarding the Utility's
specific practices relating to identity theft detection, prevention
and mitigation. Therefore, under this program, knowledge of such specific
practices are to be limited to the Identity Theft Committee and those
employees who need to know them for purposes of preventing identity
theft. Because this program is to be adopted by a public body and
thus publicly available, it would be counterproductive to list these
specific practices here. Therefore, only the program's general red
flag detection, implementation and prevention practices are listed
in this document.
