Item 27 - Ord. Amending the Muni. Code to Comply with the State's Water Shutoff Protection Act

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Ordinance No. NS-XXXX Page 12 of 15 "meter read trip fee" as established by resolution of the city council shall be payable for each trip to a customer's premises for the purposes of perfo rming a meter read for closing out of service, or for start of service, or for transfer of responsibility for service. Fees as herein provided shall be added to the next water bill issued after date of turn off, turn on, special investigation/reread, meter resetting/reinstallation or other designated trip, provided the amount is not collected in advance of the turn off, turn on, special investigation/reread, meter resetting/reinstallation, or other designated trip. For the purposes of this article, the term "trip" shall not include the regularly scheduled routine reading of customers' meters. (f) Closing bill. Upon the rendering of the final bill for service, the city shall not refund any credit balance or deposit of less than one dollar ($1.00); any checks ret urned that cannot be delivered or are unclaimed shall be forfeited unless the applicant applies for refund within twelve (12) months. (g) Individual liability for joint service. Two (2) or more persons who join in one (1) application or contract for service shall be jointly and severally liable thereunder and shall be billed by means of a single periodic bill presented to the person designated in the application process to receive the bill. (h) Change of address. Water service shall not be given to any customer u pon change of address until all delinquent charges owing thereon at a former place of residence or business have been paid. (i) Transfer of charges. When a customer maintains separate water service at multiple premises in the city under the same name or ident ity of ownership or tenancy, and water service has been discontinued at one (1) premises for non - payment, the department of finance may transfer the unpaid balance owing from the account to which service has been discontinued to any other account belonging to the customer for which water service remains ongoing. (j) Field collection fee. When a representative of the city collects payment of delinquent charges owing from a customer or customer's agent in the field, in lieu of performing a turn off or removal of customer's meter, a "field collection fee" shall be applied and collected from the customer or his their agent at the same time as all other delinquent charges and fees owing are collected. (k) Removal of unauthorized "straight pipe" connections. Whenever a customer has connected to the city's water service through an unauthorized straight pipe connection, the city shall cause such connection to be removed and a "removal of unauthorized straight pipe connections fee" as established by resolution of the city council shall be made and billed to the customer. (l) In street cut-off of water services. Whenever, in the discretion of the director of public works any customer's access to the water service must be physically severed by means of an in street cut-off of water service, whether due to authorized turn on of water service, or unauthorized straight pipe connection, or other violation of city code, an "in street cut-off fee" as established by resolution of the city council shall be made and billed to the customer. (m)Any charge, fee, or deposit owing to the city which has been paid by an instrument such as a check or draft which is dishonored upon presentation for payment, shall be void and of no effect from its inception. The director of finance, may, in his their discretion, withhold the effect of this provision if the instrument is redeemed within