§ 52.09 DISCONTINUANCE AND RECONNECTION OF SERVICE.
(A) The city may discontinue electric service when any customer:
(1) Fails to make payments in accordance with the terms of a deferred payment agreement;
(2) Fails to comply with the rules of the city pertaining to electrical service;
(3) Fails to provide city personnel access to the electric meter after receiving estimated bills for three billing periods, after the city makes written request for access, mailed to the customer’s billing address of record;
(4) When the city receives notification from a banking institution that the customer’s check as payment for electrical service is dishonored for any reason;
(5) Fails to pay a past due bill for the same class of service furnished at the same or at another location. For purposes of this section, the city may discontinue service if the customer had not paid the service as set by the disconnection notice and fails to enter into a deferred payment agreement, acceptable to the city; or
(6) Tampers or alters meter, or causes an unsafe condition.
(B) Residential customers must have a past due balance of not less than $60 before a discontinuance notice may be issued.
(C) Such discontinuance of service shall be on the last Wednesday of each month.
(D) The city may only discontinue service after mailing a written notice of discontinuance to the customer’s billing address. Discontinuance of service may only be more than seven days after the notice was deposited in the U.S. Mail with first class postage fully prepaid. Each month, the Administrative Assistant shall prepare a list, and issue work orders, in accordance with the provisions of division (A) of this section, and shall deliver copies of the work orders to electrical department personnel. All customers who meet criteria in division (A) of this section, preceding, shall be placed on the list. The only exceptions to inclusions shall be persons who enter and perform in compliance with a deferred payment agreement in accordance with the provisions of division (H) of this section, weather deferral of disconnection of division (F)(1) of this section, health needs of division (F)(2) of this section or whose total past due amount is less than $60 as provided in division (B) of this section.
(E) Service shall not be discontinued after 2:00 p.m. on any day, on a holiday, on a Saturday or on a Sunday unless the city is able to reconnect service within the four hours immediately following the discontinuance, and issue work orders.
(F) Discontinuance of electrical service for residential customers, including tenants, for non-payment of bills where the electricity is used as the only source of heating or where electricity is the only source of control or operation of heating equipment shall not be made:
(1) On any day when the National Weather Service forecast for the following 24 hours for the City of Farmer City includes a forecast that the temperature will be 32° F or below; or
(2) For up to a maximum of 60 days when discontinuance of service will aggravate an existing serious illness of any person who is a permanent resident of the premises where service is to be discontinued, provided that::
(a) The illness must be certified to the city by a registered physician or by the DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department, in writing, including the name of the ill person, a statement that he or she is a residence of the premises where the service is to be discontinued, the name business address and telephone number of the certifying party, the nature of the illness and the period of time during which discontinuance of electrical service will aggravate the illness;
(b) Emergency, initial certification may be made by the certifying party by telephone provided that all information required by the preceding paragraph is verbally given to City Hall employees during normal business hours and further provided that the written certification as provided in the preceding paragraph is sent in written form within 5 days;
(c) Renewal of certification may be made by providing the city with an updated certificate. the renewal shall delay discontinuance for an additional 30 days. Failure to renew the certification shall entitle the city to initiate discontinuance procedures; and
(d) In the event service has been discontinued within 14 days prior to proper certification of illness as hereinabove provided, service shall be restored to that residence in accordance with the preceding provisions.
(G) Nothing herein shall be construed so as to prevent discontinuance of service for reasons of safety, health or cooperation with civil authorities.
(H) Deferred payment agreements shall only be allowed for a maximum of two times per calendar year. The past due bill must be paid in full by the 10th of the month, immediately following the date set by the discontinuance notice.
(I) The city shall designate a primary and alternate dispute contact person. The contact person shall have the obligation, during normal business hours, to hear customer complaints and to transmit a summary of the complaint or dispute on a three part memo to the City Manager, who is charged with attempting to resolve such complaint or dispute. Should any complaint or dispute not be resolved to the satisfaction of the customer, he or she shall have the right to review by the City Council at its regular meeting. The City Manager shall notify the City Clerk to place said complaint on the agenda. The alternate dispute contact person shall perform the same function as the dispute contact person, in the contact person’s absence. Where the complaint or dispute is concerning the amount of a certain bill the City shall not discontinue electrical service provided that the customer:
(1) Pays the undisputed portion of the bill in question or the amount equal to the bill for the same service account and address for the same time period of the prior year ( normalized for weather), whichever is greater, (only net rates shall be charged on any disputed bill paid within 14 days of resolution of the dispute if the dispute or complaint was filed prior to the bill becoming past due);
(2) Pays all bills incurred after filing of the complaint or dispute by the due date for each such bill; and
(3) Cooperates with the City Manager by making him or herself available for dispute discussions at the earliest time scheduled for resolution thereof.
(4) The City Manager shall have the authority to resolve disputed bills involving $200 or less, provided that he inform the Mayor of the dispute and his resolution thereof in writing. Disputes in excess of $200 shall require City Council action.
(J) A reconnection charge of $75 shall be paid prior to resumption of service.
(K) City Hall and Electrical Department employees shall be available until 7:00 p.m. on the day of disconnection to receive proper payment and reconnect any utility service.
(Ord. 894, passed 10-3-11; Am. Ord. 914, passed 2-4-13)
