HomeMy WebLinkAbout89-5 - Water Service Procedures•
NO. 819- 5
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH ADOPTING
PROCEDURES FOR UNPAID WATER CHARGES,
DISCONTINUANCE OF WATER SERVICE.
WHEREAS, Newport Beach Municipal Code Sections 14.12.150,
14.12.180 and 14.12.190 state that the procedures for unpaid
charges, discontinuance of water service, and turn -on charges
shall be set by Resolution of the City Council of the City of
Newport Beach.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Newport Beach desires
to adopt the procedures herein set forth for the collection of
unpaid water charges, discontinuance, and restoration of water
service.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by 'the City Council of the City
of Newport Beach as follows:
1. The following is the procedure for collection of unpaid
water charges and discontinuance of water service:
A. Past Due Bills. Customers will be billed for
water service for a sixty (60) day billing period. Bills are for
water already used. Water bills will be considered past due if
not paid within fifteen (15) working days after date of mailing.
B. Third -Party Notification. The City shall make a
third party notification service available to customers who are
sixty -two (62) years of age or older, or who are dependent adults
as defined in paragraph 1 of subdivision B of Section 15610 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code. By this third -party notification
service, the City will attempt to notify a person designated by
the customer to receive notification when the customer's account
is past due and subject to termination. The notification shall
include information on what is required to prevent termination of
service. The customer shall make a request for third -party
notification on a form provided by the City and shall include the
written consent of the designated third party. The third -party
notification does not obligate the third party to pay the overdue
charges, nor does it prevent or delay termination of service.
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C. Non Payment of Bills.
(1) When a bill for water service has become past
due, a final notice will be sent. Every final notice of
termination of service shall include all of the following
information:
(a) The name and address of the customer whose
account is delinquent.
(b)
The
amount
of the
delinquency.
(c)
The
date by
which
payment or arrangements for
payment is required in order to avoid termination.
(d) The procedure by which the customer may initiate
a complaint or request an investigation concerning services or
charges.
(e) The telephone number of the representative of
the City's Water Billing Section who can provide additional
information or institute arrangements for payment.
This final notice will allow a minimum of five
(5) working days for payment prior to termination of water
service. Water service may be discontinued if the bill is not
paid within the time required by such final notice, except as set
forth below.
Any customer who has initiated a complaint or
requested an investigation within five (5) days prior to date of
termination of water service shall not have service discontinued
for non - payment during pendency of the investigation by the City
of such customer dispute or complaint. Any customer whose
complaint or request for an investigation has resulted in an
adverse determination by the City's Water Billing Section may
appeal the determination to the Finance Director or his /her
designee.
The water service shall not be discontinued for
non - payment for any customer complying with an installation
payment agreement entered into with the City, provided the
customer also keep current his /her account for water service as
charges accrue in each subsequent billing period. If a customer
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fails to comply with an amortized agreement, the City shall not
terminate service without giving notice to the customer, at least
forty -eight (48) hours prior to termination notice, of the
conditions the customer is to meet to avoid the termination. This
notice shall not entitle the customer to further investigation by
• the City.
(2) water service to a customer shall not be
discontinued for non - payment when the customer has established to
the satisfaction of the City that:
(a) Such termination would be especially
dangerous to the health of the customer or a full -time resident of
the customer's household. Certification from a licensed
physician, public health nurse or social worker may be required by
the City.
NA
(b) The customer or full -time resident of the
customer's household is among the elderly (age sixty -two (62) or
older) or handicapped and he /she is temporarily unable to pay for
such service and the customer is willing to arrange installment
payments satisfactory to the City, including arrangements for
prompt payment of subsequent bills.
Service may be terminated to any customer who
does not comply with an installment payment agreement or keep
current his /her account for water services as charges accrued in
any subsequent billing period.
(3) A customer service may be discontinued for non-
payment of a bill for services previously rendered to him /her at
any location served by the City provided such bill is not paid
within five (5) working days after mailing of a discontinuance of
water service notice stating that present service will be
discontinued for non - payment of such bill for prior service.
• (4) The City shall make a good faith effort to
inform the actual user of the water service when the account is
in arrears that the water service shall be terminated. A shut -off
notice tag will be placed on each service address indicating the
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impending termination of service.
(5) Services will not be discontinued by reason of
delinquency in payment for water services on any Saturday, Sunday,
legal holiday or at any time during which business hours of the
City are not opened to the public.
D. Unsafe Equipment. The City may refuse or
discontinue service to any customer if any part of the plumbing or
other equipment, or use thereof, shall be determined by the City
to be unsafe or in violation of applicable laws, ordinances, rules
or regulations of public authorities, or of any condition existing
upon the customer's premises shall be determined to endanger the
City's service facilities, until it shall have been put in a safe
condition or the violation remedied. The City does not assume any
responsibility of inspecting or repairing the customer's plumbing
or other equipment or any part thereof and assumes no liability
therefor.
E. Customer's Request for Service Discontinuance.
When a customer desires to terminate his /her responsibility for
service, he /she shall give the City not less than two (2) working
days' notice of his /her intention and state the date on which he
or she wishes the termination to become effective. A customer may
be held responsible for all service furnished at the premises
until two (2) working days after receipt of such notice by the
City or until the date of termination specified in the notice,
whichever date is later.
F. Charges. Delinquencies and service restoration
charges shall be set as follows:
Delinquent Bill (open and closed accounts):
Each bill
Shut -Off Notice, or Tag:
First unit
Second or more units (apartments)
Shut -Off List:
No trip to service address
Trip to service address
Service Restoration:
Same day before 4:00 p.m.
Same day after 4:00 p.m.
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$ 1.00
$15.00
$ 1.00 /unit
None
$45.00
$15.00
$35.00
G. Restoration. Service shall not be reconnected
unless all unpaid charges, together with the reconnection charge
have been paid. Service wrongfully terminated shall be restored
without charge for the restoration.
ADOPTED this 23rd day of January , 1989.
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MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
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