(a) Amount of Utility Service Bill. The amount of a consumer's utility service bill shall be determined as hereinafter provided in this chapter.
(b) Person Billed for Utility Service. The billing for utility service shall go to the consumer unless the consumer specifies another person who occupies the premises and the finance director, in his sole discretion, elects to bill the occupant of the premises rather than the consumer with the understanding that the consumer shall remain liable for all such utility service charges.
(c) Frequency of Billing for Utility Service. Commercial accounts shall be billed every month for payment of utility service for the past month. Residential accounts shall be billed every two (2) months for advance payment of utility service for the next two (2) months.
(d) Corrections to the Utility Service Bill. Reasonable opportunity shall be given to question the correctness of a utility service bill and when an error is shown to have been made the director of finance or his designated representative shall make necessary corrections.
(e) Administrative Determination of Delinquency in Payment of a Utility Service Bill. When all or any part of a commercial account or a residential account is not paid for sixty (60) days after mailing of a billing therefor and no satisfactory explanation is given, as determined by the director of finance or his designated representative, such account shall be deemed delinquent until all past and current charges and penalties have been paid in full, including current charges which have been due and payable for less than thirty (30) days.
(f) Notice of Delinquency. Upon administrative determination of delinquency in payment of a utility service bill, the consumer or occupant of the premises, whichever is appropriate, shall be sent written notice stating, at minimum, that:
(1) Utility service may be terminated based on the determination of delinquent payment but termination shall occur no sooner than ten (10) days from the date of mailing written notice thereof.
(2) The city may enforce payment pursuant to certain provisions in the city code, which shall be specified.
(3) The telephone number and address of the utility billing office shall be set forth and a short explanation of the procedure for protesting or seeking correction of a utility service bill shall be included.
(4) Those certain employees of the utility billing department designated to handle such protests and corrections shall be identified.
(g) Decision to Use Enforcement Methods. When all past and current charges and penalties, including current charges which have been due and payable for less than thirty (30) days, have not been paid in full within ten (10) days after mailing of written notice that such account has been determined to be delinquent and no satisfactory explanation for nonpayment is given, as determined by the director of finance or his designated representative, payment of such delinquent account shall be enforced by pursuing the enforcement measures hereinafter set forth in Article III of this Chapter. (Ord. No. 952, § 2.)