§ 26-147. Reading of meters and payment of bills.

(a)

Meters will be read on a cycle basis using three (3) cycles per month. Each customer will be assigned to one of the three (3) cycles. Meters will be read and bills will be mailed to consumers on or before the date in accordance with following schedule:

Cycle No. 1. Ninth day of the month.

Cycle No. 2. Nineteenth day of the month.

Cycle No. 3. Twenty-eighth day of the month.

(b)

Bills for service will be due upon presentation of the bill and shall be payable not later than the date set forth on the following schedule:

Cycle No. 1. Twentieth day of the month.

Cycle No. 2. Thirtieth day of the month.

Cycle No. 3. Tenth day of the month.

(c)

In case a meter does not record, is incorrectly recording, or, is not read, the bill for that period will be based upon an average of the preceding three (3) months. If the bill for service remains unpaid on the sixth day after the due date, the consumer will be notified that service will be disconnected. If the bill remains unpaid on the fifteenth day after the due date, then the service shall be disconnected. If the bill for service is disputed by the customer or there is a complaint about service, the customer may contact the city clerk during regular business hours to resolve any complaints about the bill. Customer contact and discussion of the problem must occur before fifteen (15) days after the due date. If the clerk determines that the bill is correct or the complaint is denied and the customer does not appeal to the council, and if the bill for service remains unpaid on the fifteenth day after the due date, the consumer shall be required to make payment in full for the delinquent bill, plus the penalty set forth in section 26-149. If payment in full of all amounts due the city has not been made before the fifteen day after the due date, then service shall be disconnected for nonpayment and a charge of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for reconnection for each service shall be assessed at the time the disconnect order is issued to cover the cost of disconnecting and reconnecting the service, which sum shall be added to the bill and collected therewith before service is restored. If services are disconnected for nonpayment, the city shall have the right to require the consumer to pay the delinquent bill, plus the penalty set forth in section 26-149. The city reserves the right to collect in addition thereto a security deposit as set out in this article.

(d)

The date of disconnection of utility service for nonpayment by an industrial customer shall be by direction of the city administrator but in no case shall disconnection be later than sixty (60) days from the date of the delinquency. In the event of disconnection, the industrial customer shall be required to pay the full amount of the bill for service plus the actual cost of reconnection.

(e)

The city administrator may establish policies regarding special circumstances that would justify payment agreements to pay delinquent accounts on an installment basis. Such policies shall be applicable to all customers, shall be in written form, and shall be available at the clerk's office.

(Code 1967, §§ 15-13, 15-16, 15-25; Ord. No. 1879, § 5, 1-22-73; Ord. No. 1941, § 5, 5-27-75; Ord. No. 1962, § 5, 1-12-76; Ord. No. 2028, § 5, 12-12-77; Ord. No. 2062, § 5, 12-26-78; Ord. No. 2098, § 5, 12-26-79; Ord. No. 3009, § 4, 5-28-80; Ord. No. 3021, § 1, 10-27-80; Ord. No. 3038, § 5, 2-23-81; Ord. No. 3069, § 5, 1-25-82; Ord. No. 3070, § 4, 1-25-82; Ord. No. 3212, § 5, 12-23-85; Ord. No. 3477, § 5, 1-30-92; Ord. No. 3755, § 17, 10-15-96; Ord. No. 4607, § 2, 2-9-09)