[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
A.
Utility services shall be provided only to:
1.
The property owner.
2.
The owner of the business located at the property.
3.
A tenant if the tenant has a lease or written consent from the
property owner.
4.
Services shall not be provided to anyone whose immediate household
includes a member who has an unpaid bill. An individual must be at
least eighteen (18) years old to apply for service and must present
proof of identification.
5.
Services will not be denied to any person based on age (if over
eighteen (18)), race, gender, nationality, or sexual preference.
6.
Any person having an unpaid bill with the Village shall not
obtain utilities service by means of misrepresentation or by making
application in the name of another family member or household member.
If any person should obtain services in this manner, then the past
bill shall become due and payable immediately, and the balance due
shall be added to the customer's next monthly utility bill. An
unpaid bill is any account of ineptness owed to the Village for utility
services that has not been paid or satisfied within sixty (60) days.
If it is found that any person having an unpaid bill moves to a residence
receiving services, a letter shall be sent with a payment plan. The
plan shall state that payment arrangements on delinquent accounts
five hundred dollars ($500.00) or less shall be paid in full within
ninety (90) days and over five hundred dollars ($500.00) shall be
paid in full within six (6) months from the date of the letter. Payments
shall be made in equal amounts every month. If a payment is missed,
services shall be disconnected at the current residence.
7.
If it is found that any person having an unpaid bill moves to
a residence receiving services, a letter shall be sent with a payment
plan. The plan shall state that payment arrangements on delinquent
accounts five hundred dollars ($500.00) or less shall be paid in full
within ninety (90) days and over five hundred dollars ($500.00) shall
be paid in full within six (6) months from the date of the letter.
Payments shall be made in equal amounts every month. If a payment
is missed, services shall be disconnected at the current residence.
[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
A.
Sewerage services, water services, or water and sewerage services combined shall be deemed to be furnished to both the occupant and owner of the premises receiving such service and, except as otherwise provided in Subsection (A)(2) of this Section, the Village shall have power to sue the occupant or owner, or both, of such real estate in a civil action to recover any sums due for such services less any deposit that is held by the Village for such services, plus a reasonable attorney's fee to be fixed by the court.
1.
When the occupant is delinquent in payment for thirty (30) days,
the Village shall make a good faith effort to notify the owner of
the premises receiving such service of the delinquency and the amount
thereof. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the
contrary, when an occupant is delinquent more than ninety (90) days,
the owner shall not be liable for sums due for more than ninety (90)
days of service Any notice of termination of service shall be sent
to both the occupant and owner of the premises receiving such service.
2.
The provisions of this Section shall apply only to residences
that have their own private water and sewer lines. In instances where
several residences share a common water or sewer line, the owner of
the real property upon which the residences sit shall be liable for
water and sewer expenses.
[1]
State Law Reference: Similar Statutory provisions, Section
250.140, RSMo.
[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
A.
Water. Service lines shall be connected to the Village water main
at a customer's curb or property line when the main exists. The
Village shall install and maintain that section between the main and
this point of connection. Where the Village has authorized a meter
inside of a structure, there shall be installed a cutoff valve at
the property line and the customer shall maintain the line from the
cutoff to the meter.
B.
Sewer. Building sewers shall be connected at a customer curb or property
line when the main exists. The building sewer between the main and
the property line shall be installed and maintained at the customer's
expense.
C.
Costs. The cost for customer service lines and their installation
and maintenance shall be borne by the customer. In addition, any such
installation or maintenance shall be approved by the Village prior
to its being obscured from view.
[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
A.
Meters for water shall be located in a place convenient for the Village.
In most cases new water meters should be located in a pit or box designed
for that purpose as close to the property line as possible.
1.
Variance from the general policy of this Section may be taken
only after written permission has been granted by the Superintendent
of Utilities. The customer shall bear any costs incurred, as a result
of the requested variance, less the cost of conventional installation.
[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
A.
A customer may receive one (1) extension per year on that customer's
utility bill. The customer shall have an active account with the Village
for the past six (6) months. A year shall run from January 1st to
December 31st. The customer shall pay twenty-five percent (25%) of
the bill at the time the extension is given and shall pay twenty-five
percent (25%) per week until the bill is paid in full.
B.
If a customer requires more than one (1) extension per calendar year,
the customer must appear before the Board of Trustees to request the
additional extension.
[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
A.
In addition, the Water And Light Director may cause service to be
discontinued due to:
1.
Violation of electric codes (per recommendation of Utility Superintendent
or Building Inspector); or
2.
Violation of health ordinance (per recommendation of Health
Department); or
3.
Request of Fire Department due to fires or fire danger; or
4.
Request from Utility Superintendent or Building Inspector because
of unsafe condition of structure or dwelling.
B.
Notice To Customer Of Disconnection.
1.
Prior to any service disconnection for non-payment, the Village
shall give five (5) working days' written notice of such intent
by mail to the customer at his/her billing address or by placing a
notice on the property. Such notice shall give a telephone number
and address at which such discontinuance may be contested. A copy
of such notice shall be furnished to the property owner if different
from the occupant. However, when misrepresentation of water use is
detected, or if the Village's regulating or measuring equipment
has been tampered with, or if a dangerous condition exists on the
user's premises, or when service has been connected or reconnected
without authorization, service may be shut off without notice in advance.
2.
If a user contests a disconnection, the service shall not be
disconnected until after the user has been given an opportunity, in
person or by phone, to speak with a Village official with authority
to resolve the issue, to state the user's reasons why such disconnection
should not happen, and to hear the reasons why the Village intends
to disconnect the service.
C.
If service is disconnected due to the user's delinquency, the
user shall pay to the Village, in addition to all other charges provided
herein, a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) prior to reconnection.
D.
If services are turned on after normal business hours, an additional
fifty dollars ($50.00) overtime fee for each trip made during such
period of time shall be imposed.
[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
A customer who intends to vacate any premises, discontinue the
use of utility services or terminate in any manner his/her liability
to pay for utility services delivered to such premises shall give
written notice on a form furnished by the Village at least one (1)
business day prior to the effective date of the termination.
[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
Customers requesting special utility services, such as meter
relocation or special disconnections and connections, shall be charged
on a labor-and-material basis.
[Ord. No. 128, 7-9-2019]
A.
The Village shall make all reasonable efforts to provide notice of
service interruption for making repairs, connections, extensions or
for other necessary work. Whenever possible, efforts shall be made
to notify users who may be affected by interruptions.