The city will require all new customers and any prior customers who have demonstrated a record of nonpayment of water bills in the manner defined below to establish and maintain credit by posting an account security deposit before service will be rendered. After eighteen months of good payment history, as determined solely by the finance director or public works director, the deposit may be credited to the account or returned to the customer.
A. 
New Applicant. In order to establish creditworthiness, every new applicant for utility service will pay a security deposit to the city for the purpose of establishing credit. The amount of the deposit is set forth below.
B. 
Previous Customer. If an applicant has had a previous account with the city, and service on that account was terminated on one occasion within a period of twelve months due to late or nonpayment of fees and charges owed to the city, a security deposit, as described in subsection A of this section, will be required.
C. 
Amount. The amount of the deposit will be determined by the finance director or public works director and will be equal to the average bimonthly utility billing for each class of customer, e.g., single-family residential, multifamily residential, commercial, business and industrial, based on bills for establishments of similar size and function. The required amount of deposits for each category will be revised annually, to the nearest ten dollars, and will be effective on July 1st of each year and set forth in the city-wide fee schedule.
D. 
Payment. The deposit may be paid in any form of payment accepted by the city before service on the new account will begin.
E. 
Applicability of Deposit. In the event of nonpayment of all or a portion of a bill, the deposit shall be applied to cover any unpaid charges on the account following issuance of the final bill when service is terminated.
F. 
Replacement or Change of Deposit. Where water service has been discontinued as a result of late or nonpayment of charges and the deposit or a portion of the deposit is used to cover overdue charges, the customer will fully restore the deposit in an amount equal to the current average bimonthly utility billing for the appropriate customer class, in addition to the payment of any other applicable fees and charges imposed by the city schedule of rates and fees, before the city reinstates service.
G. 
Interest on Deposit. No interest shall accrue or be paid on any amounts deposited with the city.
H. 
Return of Deposit. Upon permanent discontinuance of service and closing of an account, the city will refund the deposit to the customer without interest less any unpaid fees and charges due and owing the city for water service furnished to the customer's premises prior to discontinuance of service. The finance director is authorized to return deposits or credit the account in a manner consistent with this chapter for any accounts which have been in good standing for eighteen months.
I. 
Bankruptcies. When the city receives notice that a customer has filed for bankruptcy, the city may apply the customer's security deposit to cover any delinquent fees and charges the customer owes the city for water service furnished up to the date of the bankruptcy filing. The city may also enter into a new security agreement with the customer pursuant to applicable federal law, under which the city may require the restoration of the security deposit to the extent it is depleted, or the payment of a new deposit in the amount specified in the city schedule of rates and fees. The city may terminate the water service of a customer who is in bankruptcy and fails or refuses to enter into a new security agreement with the city to provide assurance of future payments and performance in instances where such is permitted under applicable federal law.
(Ord. 721 § 1)
A. 
Billing Period. The regular billing period will be bimonthly, or one billing after every two months of service. The finance director is authorized to change the billing frequency from bimonthly to monthly; provided, that customers are given three months advance notice.
B. 
Opening and Closing Bills. If the total period for which service is rendered is less than one month, the bill shall be prorated. The city may estimate closing bills based on the record of account for the final period to permit the customer to pay the closing bill at the time service is discontinued.
C. 
Payment of Bills. Bills for water service will be rendered at the end of each bimonthly billing period and issued by the finance department. Payment of all water service bill charges shall be sent to the finance office as specified in the bill.
D. 
Persons Responsible for Payment. All water charges shall be billed to the applicant of record who requested connection to the water system or their successor in interest.
E. 
Separate Billing. Each meter will be billed separately in accordance with the city schedule of rates and fees.
F. 
Returned Customer Checks. If a customer's check or payment is returned for nonpayment by the financial institution on which it is drawn, the customer will pay a returned check fee as set forth in the city-wide fee schedule, in addition to the amount of the dishonored check. If a customer has two checks returned for nonpayment by a financial institution in a one-year period, the customer will be required to pay his/her water bills for a one-year period commencing with the next payment by another payment method accepted by the city.
G. 
Uncashed City Checks. Any city check not cashed within ninety days shall be void.
H. 
Disputed Bills. A customer must notify the city in writing of any dispute as to the correctness of a water service bill, and request an investigation or an extension for the payment period, within seven days of receiving the disputed bill or any initial notice of termination of water service. The finance director or designee may meet with the customer in person or by phone at the customer's request to investigate and resolve the dispute. If, following the meeting with the finance director or designee, the customer's dispute is not resolved in a manner satisfactory to the customer, the customer may appeal the dispute to the city manager in accordance with the procedure set forth in MMC § 8.05.1300.
(Ord. 721 § 1)
The finance director, in his/her discretion, may authorize an agreement with a customer to amortize the payment of any bill where the customer can demonstrate satisfactorily that payment of the full bill will cause undue hardship. The finance director may determine the amortization period, which will not exceed twenty-four months. During the amortization period, the customer must pay all current bills in full plus the amortized past due amount. The city may not terminate water service for nonpayment if the customer fully complies with the amortization agreement.
(Ord. 721 § 1)
The finance director is authorized to establish and implement, in his/her discretion for any customer, a one-time adjustment of a bill due to unusual circumstances.
(Ord. 721 § 1)
Following connection to the water system, water charges shall become effective against the premises of the applicant immediately upon the commencement of service from the water system to the premises.
(Ord. 721 § 1)
Any customer may have their water service discontinued by giving notice requesting discontinuance not less than three working days prior to the requested date of discontinuance stated in such notice. The city will attempt to discontinue water service as soon as practicable and reasonable, within three working days after the customer request. The city shall charge the regular call-out fee listed in the city schedule of rates and fees for restoring water service to any customer whose water service was discontinued at their request. The fee in Attachment A attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter reflects the fee in place at time of enactment of the ordinance codified in this chapter. Adjustments to this fee will take place by resolution of the city council and any updated fee will be contained in the separate city-wide fee schedule.
(Ord. 721 § 1)
When the customer requests discontinuance of water service on an emergency or temporary basis, the city shall respond as soon as practicable and reasonable. The customer shall be responsible for paying the reconnection/reinstatement of service charge set forth in the city schedule of rates and fees reflecting the charge in place at time of enactment of the ordinance codified in this chapter. Adjustments to this charge will take place by resolution of the city council and any updated charge will be contained in the separate city-wide fee schedule.
(Ord. 721 § 1)
A. 
When accounts become delinquent and late notices including shutoff notices have failed to produce payment by the customer, water service to the premises will be terminated.
B. 
The payment of utility bills is due on the fifteenth of each month or the next business day. If payment is not received by the thirtieth day after the due date, a reminder notice will be sent to the customer that payment is delinquent. If a bill is delinquent for sixty days, staff will attempt to contact the customer by telephone and then in person to advise them they are turning off their water service due to nonpayment in seven business days. If staff is unable to contact the customer, and if the customer is not home when the staff arrives, staff will leave a door hanger with the customer's name and address, amount of delinquency, date by which payment or arrangement for payment is required to avoid discontinuation of service, and a copy of the residential water service termination policy. The city is not responsible for any subsequent actions to abate any public nuisance caused by the water service termination to a residence.
C. 
If water service has been shut off for a customer and that customer pays their bill in full, including any penalty fees due, and pays the call-out fee listed in the city schedule of rates and fees to be reconnected to the water system, water service will be restored. Reconnection will only be accomplished between eight a.m. and three p.m. of each working day. The public works director, in his or her sole discretion, may approve restoration of water service after city business hours for residents who have had their service disconnected and have paid all charges in full. These customers will be required to pay, in addition to past due charges, penalty fees, and the call-out fee, three hours of overtime at the rate of time and a half of a maintenance worker's salary to have their water service restored after working hours. These fees and other charges must be paid in advance at the finance office prior to close of business before the order to restore water service may be issued.
D. 
The finance director or public works director is authorized to periodically adjust the process and deadlines for payment due dates on utility bills, reminder notices, and disconnection notices to be consistent with City Hall business hours, dates and processing procedures.
E. 
The finance director or public works director, in his or her sole discretion, may permit exceptions to this delinquent/shutoff process when the customer can prove extreme hardship will result if an exception is not granted.
(Amended by Ord. 805 § 2; Ord. 721 § 1)
When a meter register shows consumption after the service has officially been disconnected, the owner of the property shall be held responsible for all consumption and all other applicable fees as set forth in Attachment A, City Schedule of Rates and Fees, attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter.
(Ord. 721 § 1)
In the event water charges are delinquent for at least sixty days or more, the city is authorized to file a lien upon the real property owned by the customer in the amount of any and all delinquent charges and applicable penalties pursuant to MMC § 6.20.100.
(Ord. 721 § 1)