Each new customer can call by telephone or come by the office located in city hall to apply for service. A deposit and an activation fee as provided in appendix A is required with application for service. If possible, one full day's notice should be given. When this is not possible, every effort will be made to accommodate the customer. It is preferable for the customer to be present when service begins to avoid damage in case of broken pipes or leaks.
A deposit is required to open an account. Deposits remain on the account until the account is closed. At that time, the deposit applies to the final balance due to the account, and if applicable, the difference is refunded. Deposits are based on the schedule as provided in appendix A.
The utility bill will be mailed each month approximately 14 days prior to the due date. The time of the month of the billing depends on the physical location of the service within the city. In most cases, the bill will contain itemized charges for water, sewer, garbage, EPA surcharge and drainage. It will also reflect the consumption in 100-gallon increments and the reading by which that consumption has been calculated. Messages and other information regarding the city may be printed on the bill. If there are questions regarding the bill, the number to call will be on the bill.
Bills may be paid by mail, in person during regular office hours or by using the after hours depository box. The 24-hour depository box is located on the north side of city hall. The depository box is emptied each working day at 8:00 a.m. The return portion of your bill should be included with the payment whenever possible.
Payments received after the due date will be assessed a ten percent penalty and interest fee. Any customer whose bill is more than 30 days past due shall have water service discontinued. In order to reinstate water service, the customer must: (i) pay delinquent bill in full; (ii) pay service charge as provided in appendix A; and (iii) pay additional an deposit as provided in appendix A. Bills not paid before 5:00 p.m. will not be reconnected until the next business day. The only notification for discontinuance of service a customer will receive is a red stamp notice on the most current bill stating that service will be discontinued if not paid by the due date.
If water service is turned on by any other person other than city personnel, the water meter shall be pulled or locked immediately and an additional charge as provided in appendix A will be assessed to resume service. If meter or lock is damaged, the customer will also be charged the cost of repair or replacement. A service fee as provided in appendix A will be charged for all returned checks.
Residential customers are billed sewer charges based on their average winter water consumption. The water consumption for December, January and February is averaged each year and that becomes the maximum sewer flow they will be billed for the next nine months (March—November). Using this method, customers are not billed sewer charges for water uses that do not impact the sewer system.
At times, the water utilities department may need to interrupt water service on a street or in an area of the city. This is most often done to make repairs of some kind. The water utilities department will do the best to notify someone at each home or business, but this may not always be possible in the event of an emergency.
The city manager and city finance director are authorized to modify city's utility billing format and procedures to provide utility account holder the opportunity to donate up to $1.00 each to the parks and beautification fund, the library fund, and the animal shelter fund, when paying their monthly utility bill. The donations received from such utility billing process shall be dedicated to the specific fund or funds to which the paying utility account holder designates.
[Ord. No. 1008-05, § 4, 2-22-2005]