(1) A water account is past due if it is not paid within 30 days following the date of billing of said account.

(2) A second notice (past due notice) will be mailed to all unpaid accounts on or about 30 days following the original billing date; said notice will state the amount past due and request that payment or arrangements for payment be made within 10 days of the past due notice date. This past due notice will be sent to the customer’s mailing address.

(3) A written warning notice to the customer shall be left at the premises on or about the forty-sixth day following the original billing date stating that payment must be received in the City business office within 72 hours (three days) or water service will be terminated. In the case of a multifamily unit serviced by a single meter, the written warning notice will be left at each dwelling unit whether or not occupied.

(4) In all cases of past due turn-offs, a notice shall be left on the door or mailed to the customer on or about the forty-ninth day following the original billing date stating that water has been turned off and will remain turned off until all past due amounts and penalty charges are paid. Turn-off notices for multifamily units serviced by a single meter will be left at each dwelling unit whether or not occupied. A service charge established by Council resolution will be charged and collected for each past due or disconnection notice sent or delivered to the customer’s premises.

(5) In all instances where water has been turned off because of nonpayment of a past due account, a service charge established by Council resolution will be collected in addition to the past due amount prior to restoring any service during regular working hours. An additional fee will be collected for restoration of service after regular working hours.

(6) The City Manager or the City Manager’s agent, in the case of extreme hardship or by prior arrangement with the user, shall have the discretion of renewing or not discontinuing service to a past due account upon acceptance of a valid plan for the payment of all past due, current and future charges.

(7) Notice shall be given with the past due notice that the customer shall have the opportunity, if he or she does not agree with the billing, to have a hearing on his or her account. The hearing shall be held by a Hearings Officer appointed by the Finance Director, and the Hearings Officer’s decision shall be binding. Written notice to the utility by the customer of a request for a hearing must be given prior to the water service being disconnected; otherwise, the customer must pay all past due accounts, plus any restoration charges prior to service being restored. If the hearing is held and the Hearings Officer finds in favor of the customer, any or all of the appropriate charges may be adjusted or returned to the customer based upon the findings of the Hearings Officer.

(8) If any unpaid account balance remains after the initial due date of the closing bill, the utility may:

(9) In cases where termination of service for a past due account may cause severe hardship or loss of life, the utility may initiate other collection actions against its customers. This action may include the use of small claims court and/or district court, if appropriate. (Ord. 68 § 1, passed 2-19-1991; Code 2014 § 50.06)