(a) 
The city is authorized to refuse service to individuals or business entities who owe money on the same or prior location, until such time as proper and complete payment is made for outstanding utility bills, provided that the city conduct a diligent investigation to determine that indeed such person or business has changed the account name or location to avoid payment.
(b) 
The city is authorized to ban certain addresses from service, when it can prove that the individual or business entity residing or using the location is attempting to change or has changed the account name or location in order to avoid payment.
(c) 
The city is authorized to seek information about individuals or business entities who owe money for prior service, by other means such as tax rolls, other utility accounts, or any other legal means, for the purpose of attempting to collect the monies owed.
(d) 
The individuals or business entities who refuse to pay for prior service, or who abandon the location to avoid payment, or who use the service without establishing a valid account as provided in this code, are declared to be in theft of service and therefore are subject to all provisions of state law.
(e) 
A property on which an illegal connection is discovered by city personnel or its agents will be immediately denied water and sewer service, until a proper account is opened and an illegal connection fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00) is paid. A person or business entity opening an account where an illegal connection was found will not be eligible for any deferred payment plan. A portion of the fee up to two hundred dollars ($200.00) will be utilized to cover the expense of establishing an active account for the customer.
(f) 
A person wishing to eliminate an illegal connection from his/her property and who notifies the city voluntarily and before detection of this illegal connection in writing will not be charged the illegal connection fee but will be required to open an active account.
(g) 
It shall be the duty of the code enforcement officer or any of the designated representatives to make inspections to determine the existence of violations of this section.
(h) 
Any person or agent of such person, who shall violate or fail or refuse to comply with any of the provisions of this section or fail to comply therewith shall be guilty of a crime as set forth in the Texas Penal Code. Such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or its portion during which any violation of any of the provisions of this section is committed, or continued and, upon conviction of any such violation [sic].
(Ordinance 604 adopted 12/15/09)