[Amended 8-14-2024 by Ord. No. 448]
A. Electric. The City shall furnish all secondary or
service wiring and upon receiving approval from the electrician, the
City shall connect the service to the transformer.
B. Water. No connection shall be made to the City water
system without a permit. The fee for each such permit shall be set
by the City Council at the time of annual approval of utility rates.
The Superintendent of Utilities shall inspect the water connection
of the service pipe to the main prior to any use of new connection.
C. Sewer. No connection shall be made to the City sanitary
sewer system without a permit. The fee for each such permit shall
be set by the City Council at the time of annual approval of utility
rates. The Superintendent of Utilities shall inspect the sanitary
sewer service pipe to the main prior to use of the new sewer service.
D. Natural gas. No connection shall be made to the City
natural gas system without completion of a Fairfax Municipal Utilities
Service Agreement. The Superintendent of Utilities shall inspect the
gas connection of the service pipe to the main. Inspection and pressure
test must be performed prior to unlocking the meter for service. The
City will furnish the meter and the pipe from a plastic main to the
building for all new connections within the city limits of the cities
of Gibbon and Fairfax. The property owner shall be responsible for
the cost and installation of the pipe from a steel main to the building
for all new connections. Installation of gas service must be contracted
through the City and installed by a certified contractor.
Any person who deliberately commits, authorizes,
attempts, solicits, aids, or abets meter bypassing, tampering, unauthorized
connection or unauthorized metering that results in damages to the
utility; or against a person who knowingly receives the service as
a result of these specific activities; the specific remedy provides
that the utility can recover double the costs of the service provided,
plus the costs and expenses of investigation and related services,
reconnections or disconnections by its employees, plus the trial costs
and witness fees.
Utility customers have the opportunity to sign
up for budget billing plan at any time. Budget billing monthly payment
is determined by averaging the previous 12 months or if billings number
less than 12 the average will be taken from the number of billings
to date. If budget billing amount is not commensurate with the consumption
due to changes at residence, the City Clerk-Treasurer will review
account with customer and revise budget amount.
Utility rates shall be as set by resolution
by the City Council.
Annual notice to all residential customers.
The cold weather rule must be made to all residential customers of
the utility between August 15 and October 15 of each year. The purpose
of this notice is to comply with the Minnesota cold weather rule adopted
by the state Legislature in 1991 (Attachment A).
A. City of Fairfax will not disconnect the utility service
of a residential customer if the disconnection affects the primary
heat source for the residential unit when the following conditions
are met:
(1) The disconnection would occur during the period between
October 15 and April 15.
(2) The customer is receiving any form of public assistance
or energy assistance.
(3) The customer has declared inability to pay on forms
provided by the utility.
(4) The household income of the customer is less than
50% of the state median income level, as documented by the customer
to the utility. To determine eligibility under income guidelines,
customer must present to the utility office:
(a)
The most recent income tax return filed by members
of the customer's household;
(b)
For each employed member of the customer's household,
either paycheck stubs for the last two months or a written statement
from the employer of wages earned during the preceding two months;
(c)
Documentation of unemployment; or
(d)
Other documentation which supports the customer's
declaration of inability to pay; and
(5) The customer's account is current for the billing
period immediately prior to October 15 or the customer has entered
into a payment schedule and is reasonably current with payments under
the schedule.
|
The City of Fairfax will notify all residential
customers of the provision of the above five points.
|
B. Before disconnecting service to a residential customer
during the period between October 15 and April 15, the City of Fairfax
will provide the following information to a customer:
(1) A notice of proposed disconnection;
(2) A statement explaining the customer's rights and responsibilities
(Attachment B);
(3) A list of local energy assistance providers;
(4) A form on which to declare inability to pay (Attachment
C); and
(5) A statement explaining available time payment plans
and other opportunities to secure continued utility service.
C. Restrictions if disconnection is necessary.
(1) If a residential customer must be involuntarily disconnected between October 15 and April 15 for failure to comply with the provisions of Subsection
A, the disconnection must not occur on a Friday or on the day before a holiday. Further, the disconnection must not occur until at least 10 days after the notice has been mailed to the customer.
(2) If the customer does not respond to a disconnection
notice the customer must not be disconnected until the utility investigates
whether the residential unit is actually occupied. If the unit is
found to be occupied, the utility must immediately inform the occupant
of the provisions of this section. If the unit is unoccupied, the
utility must give seven days written notice of the proposed disconnection
to the local energy assistance provider before making a disconnection.
(3) If prior to the disconnection a customer appeals a
notice of involuntary disconnection as provided by the City of Fairfax
established appeal procedure, the utility must not disconnect until
the appeal is resolved.
D. Appeals.
(1) A customer who disputes the utility's intention to
disconnect cannot be disconnected until the utility hears the customers
appeal. If the customer desires such a hearing, the hearing will be
scheduled for the next regular Council meeting of the City Council.
(2) Upon the finding by the City Council that a customer
has established his or her inability to pay, the City Council may
require the customer to enter into a payment agreement. A customer
failing to comply with the payment agreement may upon 10 days notice
by the City be subject to the provisions of utility service disconnect
policy.
E. Inspections. Authorized personnel shall have free
access at reasonable hours of the day to all parts of every building
and premises connected with the City water and sanitary sewer service.
F. Reconnection. The utility shall reinstate service
upon payment of delinquent bill or partial payment with acceptable
payment plan plus a reconnection charge of $25. If service is reinstated
after regular business hours, the fee will be $50. In cases where
utility service is disconnected for a period of time upon request,
there shall be a reconnection charge of $25.
G. Work orders. Any discharge of water prohibited by Chapter
253, Water and Sewers, Art.
I, shall be corrected by the property owner. The City shall cost share based on Chapter
253, Water and Sewers, Art.
I, on corrections when the owner has obtained prior approval of the nature of work and the Superintendent of Utilities has issued a work order.
H. Provision for collection with taxes. Delinquent utility
accounts may be certified to the County Auditor. The City Clerk-Treasurer
shall prepare an assessment roll each year providing for assessment
of the delinquent amounts against the respective properties served.
The assessments shall be submitted to the City Council and approved.
Upon such approval, the Clerk-Treasurer shall certify the assessment
roll to the County Auditor for collection along with taxes.
[Added 3-14-2023 by Ord. No. 436]
A. Customers
that are unable to pay their utility bills by the due date are encouraged
to contact the City office to arrange and sign a mutually agreed-upon
payment plan, which has a goal of bringing a utility account current
in a timely manner. The City has the right to reject a proposed payment
plan if it is determined not to achieve the goal of bringing a customer's
utility account current. All payment plans must be in writing, signed
by the utility account holder, and approved by City staff to be valid.
B. If a
customer fails to comply with any term and/or condition contained
within the signed payment plan, the customer shall be removed from
the payment plan and will be subject to disconnection of utility service.
The City reserves the right to deny all future payment plans to any
customer that fails to comply with a valid payment plan.