Under no circumstances shall connections be made between the
wires of the electrical distribution system of this municipality and
the meter of the consumer, except by an employee of the municipality
or a licensed electrician authorized to do so by the Light Commissioner.
The consumer may have wiring done by any competent licensed electrician
from the meter to the points of distribution. All wiring, equipment,
and apparatus shall be installed according to the electrical code
duly adopted by the municipality.[1] All installation shall be done under the supervision and
strictly in accordance with the rules, regulations, and specifications
for such installation prescribed by the Light Commissioner; provided
that such rules, regulations, and specifications have been reviewed
and approved by the governing body.
A.
Upon approval of the consumer's application, the City will run, or
cause to be run, supply wire or wires to the building or buildings
of the consumer, if said buildings are located on premises abutting
the distribution system of the City.
B.
No person, except those authorized by the Light Commissioner, shall
connect or make any changes in the switches, motors, meters, wires,
or wiring, or any electrical apparatus of any description where said
light or power is used or in any way interfere with or injure the
same, or any connection, when the same are connected with the supply
wires of the electric distribution system of the City.
C.
All poles, overhead wires, transformers, and other aerial construction
equipment or apparatus shall be erected in a substantial manner and
shall be placed in the alleys of the City insofar as it is practical
to do so. All wires shall be erected and maintained at such height
as shall interfere as little as possible with other wires or business
interests, and all such wires shall be placed so as not to interfere
with the common, ordinary, public travel upon said streets and alleys.
[Amended 9-2-1980 by Ord.
No. 2080; 12-20-1983 by Ord. No. 40-83; 11-29-1984 by Ord. No. 39-84; 5-16-1989 by Ord. No. 14-89; 4-17-1990 by Ord. No. 14-90; 9-5-1995 by Ord. No. 34-95; 8-17-1999 by Ord. No. 38-99; 4-19-2005 by Ord. No. 23-05; 5-18-2010 by Ord. No. 10-10]
A.
All electric service customers of the City to whom electric service
is supplied, whether tenants, occupants or owners of the premises,
shall deposit at the Utility Office/City Hall a utility deposit in
such amount as may be fixed from time to time by resolution of the
Council. All such funds shall be retained by the City as a guarantee
of payment of all charges and service fees incurred by the depositor.
For deposits over $500, interest will be payable for a one-year time
period based on the average rate of interest earned by the City on
investments over the immediate past 12 months preceding the return
of the deposit. There will be no charge made for electrical activation
services.[1]
B.
Utility deposits are in the nature of trust funds and shall be refunded to consumers after two years of service and no delinquencies, audited and allowed by the City Clerk-Treasurer and ordered paid out of the Electric Fund with proper deductions made for arrearages or delinquencies due the City, if any. Said utility deposit funds shall be refunded only to the original depositor, or his/her estate, and are not transferable unless approved by the City Clerk-Treasurer. The City shall have the authority to increase or decrease commercial electric service deposits, based on the usage, if it is determined necessary by order of the City Clerk-Treasurer. If a commercial deposit is increased and the commercial consumer neglects or refuses to pay the increase within 30 days, service shall be discontinued by the procedure provided for in Chapter 370, Utilities, § 370-1.2.
C.
All utility deposits heretofore or hereafter deposited with the City
that are not demanded by the depositor within four years after the
discontinuance of such electric service shall be deemed forfeited
and shall be transferred to the Electric Fund of the City.
[Amended 4-19-1988 by Ord. No. 6-88]
A.
The City will designate a point on the consumer's premises where
service will be delivered. All meters for electric service shall be
furnished, shall be set in place, and shall remain the property of
the City. All such supply wires shall be considered property of the
City. It shall be unlawful for any person to employ any scheme, device
or contrivance for the purpose of evading the proper service and registration
of any meter or to employ any scheme or device whereby he may obtain
current which does not pass through the meter furnished him by the
Electric Superintendent. Finding apparatus attached to the power meter
or any device in or near any meter which causes the same to register
incorrectly shall be prima facie evidence of the intent of the occupier
of said premises, or of said consumer, to convert electric current
to his own use, which is hereby declared unlawful, and the person
convicted of violation of the same shall be punished as hereinafter
provided; and if it shall appear to the Electric Superintendent that
any light or power meter shall have been tapped or tampered with,
he is hereby empowered to install or cause to be installed, at the
consumer's expense, a special meter as specified by the Electric Superintendent
and accessible only to the Electric Superintendent or his agents.
The consumer shall safeguard and provide adequate protection of the
property of the City, including metering equipment located on the
consumer's premises, and maintain clear and safe access thereto at
all reasonable times.[1]
B.
Master metering shall be prohibited in new multifamily residential
buildings. Provisions for individual-tenant metering will be installed
at the time of construction so that if the use of the building changes
from the above criteria, the living units can be easily converted
to individual metering and billing in accordance with City standards.
All electric current furnished hereafter to consumers by the
electric distribution system of the City shall be measured by meters,
which are the property of, furnished and set by the City. No person
except an authorized agent of the City shall be allowed to set meters
or make connections to the electric service of the distribution system
of this City. The City will hereafter furnish all necessary meters
to consumers and will keep all meters clean and in repair at the expense
of the City. The owner of the premises where a meter is located shall
provide ready and convenient access to the meter so that it may easily
be examined and read by authorized agents of the City. Any consumer
of current from the electric distribution system of the City may request
the Light Commissioner to test any current meter or meters in use
which the consumer may have reason to believe are not registering
the correct amount of current. Such request shall be made at the Utility
Office/City Hall and such consumer shall deposit with said office
the sum of $50 per meter to be tested by a firm qualified to test
meters. If, upon test, the meter is determined to be defective and
does not register the amount of current 2% or less, the meter shall
be repaired at City expense and such $50 so paid shall be refunded
to the consumer. If, however, upon such test, the meter is determined
to perform and register the electric current with an accuracy of 2%
or less, then such $50 shall be retained by the City Light Department
as payment for the expense incurred by the test requested by such
consumer.
[Amended 9-16-1980 by Ord. No. 24-80; 10-18-2005 by Ord. No. 50-05]
When for any reason an electric meter is not registering accurately
the amount of kilowatt hours, the consumer shall be charged for the
electric current during the time such meter is out of repair in a
sum equal to the charge for the amount during the corresponding period
of the preceding year; provided that if no basis for such comparison
exists, or in the opinion of the Electric Superintendent such basis
is unfair, the consumer shall pay such reasonable sum for the electricity
during such period as the Electric Superintendent shall fix. In no
event shall either the City be able make a claim for underpayment
by the consumer or the consumer be able to make a claim for overpayment
to the City, for any period of time dating back more than one year
from the date of discovery of a meter out of repair or for any other
reason causing a billing to the consumer to be inaccurate.
[Amended 12-2-1975 by Ord. No. 1038; 9-21-1982 by Ord. No. 21-82; 3-20-1984 by Ord. No. 7-84; 10-5-1999 by Ord. No. 48-99; 8-17-2010 by Ord. No. 21-10]
A.
The Electric Superintendent shall monthly examine and read, or have
examined and read under his supervision, all meters of consumers of
electric service from the electric distribution system of the City.
The employees of the Utility Office shall prepare and cause to be
made bills for collection from each consumer for the amounts of current
consumed since the last reading or examination of his meter or meters.
The bills, so prepared, shall be mailed to the customers on or about
the first day of the next month. For record-keeping purposes, bills
shall be considered delinquent if they are received by the Utility
Office after the close of business on the 15th day of the month.
B.
If the consumer shall neglect or refuse to pay his bill on or before
the delinquent date, the amount due will be increased by a ten-percent
late payment charge, not to exceed $50. Sales-tax-exempt consumers
will be exempt from the late payment charge. In addition, discontinuance
of service procedures will commence in accordance with City codes.
[Amended 4-19-1988 by Ord. No. 7-88; 8-17-2010 by Ord. No. 20-10]
A.
The term "user" as used in this article shall mean all users of the
municipal electric system and the owners and tenants of real estate
and buildings connected with such electric system and as hereinafter
classified.
B.
User rates shall be classified as either "residential," "commercial
service," "general service demand," "rural residential," "large power"
or "municipal." The following are definitions of each user:[1]
(1)
A "residential user" shall be defined as the owner or tenant
of a dwelling used primarily for residential purposes and which is
located inside the City limits: provided that any property located
in a residential zone of the City which conducts a small business
inside the home and which is in conformity with the zoning ordinances
of the City[2] shall be considered residential for the purpose of electric
classification; unless the business occupies 50% or more of the residence,
and then it shall be classified as a "commercial service" user.
(2)
A "commercial service user" shall be defined as any owner or
tenant who uses electricity primarily for business purposes (including
all churches and schools), whether or not this consumer is inside
or outside the City limits.
(3)
A "general service demand user" shall be defined as any owner
or tenant who uses electricity primarily for business purposes, whether
or not this consumer is inside or outside of the City limits, with
a demand of 50 kilowatts or more for four consecutive months.
(4)
A "rural residential user" shall be defined as a owner or tenant
of a dwelling used primarily for residential purposes which is located
outside of the City limits.
(5)
A "large power user" shall be defined as customers with demands
of 500 kilowatts or more for four consecutive months.
(6)
A "municipal user" shall be defined as any customer meeting
City criteria for service in which the City has the sole investment
and interest.
