(a)
Should any person move into any premises supplied with utilities
from the city, without making an application in the manner provided
for by the city, such person shall become responsible for all utility
service usage from the date of the last payment made on such account
previous to his occupying said premises, and the failure to pay same
shall be cause for disconnecting such service until the amount due
is paid.
(b)
Where an application is accepted for utility service for business
or residence purpose it shall be considered the residence or business
of the applicant, and should utilities be disconnected for the nonpayment
of bills or for other infractions of this article, no new application
will be accepted from the owner, agent, or any other person to continue
service in such place or any other place under any other name, so
long as such place or any other place is occupied by the original
applicant as the residence or place of business of same, until after
all bills and penalties, damages to utility equipment or other service
charges have been paid in full or some form of agreement has been
reached.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.101)
(a)
If any person shall make false statements in the application for
utility service, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b)
Any consumer who shall discontinue the place of business or move
from his residence and leave a bill for utility services or any other
services due the city, [and] shall make application for service at
some other address, either under his own name or under a different
name, without stating to the office the old address and name under
which water or sewer services were used at the address where there
is a bill due, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.102)
(a)
At the time of making application for utility services to be provided
by the city, a deposit shall be made with the city in the amount as
provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code.
When and if it is found that the deposit required and collected in
accordance herewith is not sufficient to protect the city from losses
that may occur over a period of two (2) months, the city may require
an additional cash deposit.
(b)
If a city utility customer moves to a new location, the deposit held
on the previous location can be transferred; however, the customer
must pay the difference between the amount of the old deposit and
the current deposit required for service. No deposit may be used for
two accounts simultaneously.
(c)
If a city utility customer is disconnected for nonpayment on more
than one occasion, the deposit must be brought up to the amount required
of new customers.
(d)
Deposits on utility accounts will be returned when the customer closes
their utility account and the account is paid in full. Deposits will
be applied to the last bill for the account and the remainder of the
deposit not used to pay the bill will be returned to the customer
within a month of the final bill being sent out.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.103)
All rates and charges for services to a consumer’s premises
shall accrue and be charged against the consumer until such time as
notice is given to the city offices by the consumer, or his or her
duly authorized agent, to discontinue all services to the consumer’s
premises.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.104)
Where two or more families occupy the same house or apartment,
and the utility account is in the name of one, and the one in whose
name the account stands moves away, the remaining family is still
responsible for the unpaid utility bills.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.105)
(a)
The city will send out utility bills no later than the 1st of the
month. All utility accounts must be paid on or before the tenth (10th)
of the month following the meter reading date; however, if the tenth
(10th) of the month shall fall on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or an
official city holiday, any payment received in the city office prior
to 8:00 a.m. on the next business day will be considered a timely
payment. Also, any payments received after the 10th of the month that
are postmarked on the 10th or earlier will be considered timely.
(b)
The city shall impose a ten percent (10%) penalty on all utility
accounts which remain unpaid on the tenth (10th) of each month following
delinquency as defined above.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.106)
(a)
On the failure to pay in full all utility accounts when due, the
city, acting through any authorized representative of the city, for
and on behalf of the city, shall have the authority to order such
services disconnected until all delinquent utility and delinquency
charges due from the delinquent user have been paid to the city.
(b)
A late notice will be sent for accounts not paid by the due date
stating that the account will be disconnected due to nonpayment approximately
10 days after the due date. This date may vary slightly due to the
10th day of the month falling on a weekend or holiday. An administrative
fee as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this
code shall be charged all accounts not paid when due.
(c)
No service shall be furnished to any person who is delinquent in
the payment of any bill for any utilities furnished on the premises
to which utility service is desired or to any other premises in the
city. Utility services can be disconnected at any and all residences
or businesses under the control of the person who is delinquent.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.107)
There is hereby established a service charge, which will be
the maximum amount allowed by law, as provided for in the fee schedule
found in appendix A of this code, which shall be levied and assessed
by the city when an account for any utility services provided, furnished,
or sold by the city or an account rendered or collected for the city
is paid or satisfied by making, drawing, uttering or delivery of any
check, draft, or order for the payment of money on any bank, person,
firm, or corporation at a time when the maker, drawer, or payer thereof
does not have sufficient funds in or on deposit with such bank, person,
firm, or corporation for the payment in full of such check, draft,
or order, as well as all other outstanding checks, drafts, or orders
upon such funds then outstanding, which said service charge shall
be billed to and become a part of the account for which any check,
draft, or order was given in satisfaction therefor. Upon failure to
pay this charge and any other amount due on the account by the date
stated in the notice sent to the customer, the city shall have the
right and authority to order any utility services provided by the
city discontinued until such charges are paid in full to the city.
A utility account that has had two returned checks, drafts, or orders
of payment in the course of twelve months shall no longer be allowed
to present checks or drafts in payment of the utility bill for twelve
months following the second returned check. Such accounts shall be
required to pay in the form of cash, money order, cashier’s
check, debit card or credit card.
(Ordinance 2013.7.2 adopted 7/9/13)
(a)
The city, acting by or through any duly authorized representative
and/or agent of the city, shall be authorized to disconnect any utility
services to the premises of any person found violating any of the
terms or provisions of this article.
(b)
A duly authorized representative and/or agent of the city shall have
the right at all reasonable times to go upon privately owned property
for the purpose of inspection of utility service lines or connections
and drains and all other related lines or equipment and, upon refusal
of the right to make such inspections, any duly authorized representative
and/or agent of the city shall have the right to disconnect from such
privately owned property all utility connections.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.109)
(a)
Tampering with lines.
Any person who shall tamper with,
alter, change, bypass, divert or connect to any water or sewer mains,
electric lines, or any utility service lines owned by the city without
first obtaining permission or consent of the city shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor.
(b)
Unlawful use of service or connection to service line.
It shall be unlawful for any person to use water from the water mains
of this city, to connect to any sewer service line, or to connect
to any electric lines of the city without an application or permit,
or to turn on the city water or electricity for the use on his premises,
after the same has been, for any reason, cut off, or before the same
has been turned on by the city, without first having secured the application,
paid the deposit as required by this article, and paid any amount
due on the utility account.
(2001 Code, sec. 13.110)
