For purposes of this article, utility services shall include water and wastewater services provided by the city.

(Code 2014; Code 2024)

Unless otherwise provided, water and wastewater services shall be terminated for non-payment of service fees or charges in accordance with Sections 15-103:104.

(Code 2014; Code 2024)

(a)   If a utility bill has not been paid on or before the due date as provided in this chapter, a delinquency and termination notice shall be issued by the city clerk within five days after the delinquency occurs and mailed by certified mail to the customer at his/her last known address.  Only one certified notice will be sent per calendar year.

(b)   The notice shall state:

(1)   The amount due, plus delinquency charge;

(2)   Notice that service will be terminated if the amount due is not paid by the last day of the month unless the date on the notice to pay the charges due shall be on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, in which event such notice will give the consumer until the close of the next business day in which to pay the charges;

(3)   Notice that the customer has the right to a hearing before the designated hearing officer;

(4)   Notice that the request for a hearing must be in writing and filed with the city clerk no later than three days prior to the date of termination of service.

(c)   Upon receipt of a request for hearing, the city clerk shall advise the customer of the date, time and place of the hearing which shall be held within three working days following receipt of the request.

(Code 2014; Code 2024)

Following the hearing, if the hearing officer shall find that service should not be terminated, then notice of such finding shall be presented to the city clerk. If the officer finds that service should be terminated, an order shall be issued terminating service five days after the date of the order. The customer shall be notified either in person or by mailing a letter to his/her last known address by certified mail, return receipt requested. However, if the order is made at the hearing in the presence of the customer, then no further notice need be given. The hearing officer has a right, for good cause, to grant an extension, not to exceed 10 days, for the termination of such service. The hearing officer shall be the city clerk or the clerk’s designee.

(Code 2014)

(a)   Each new customer making application for utility service shall make a cash deposit to the city in the amount as specified in subsection (b), the deposits to serve as a guaranty for the payment of service thereafter furnished to the customer’s premises.

(b)   Cash deposits for the indicated utility service shall in the following amounts:

Water Service - $75.00

(c)   In the event that utility service shall be disconnected or discontinued for failure to pay any bill due the city for such utility, such cash deposit shall be applied as a credit against all amount due from the customer to the city and if there shall remain any surplus of such deposit, the same shall be returned to the customer.

(d)   Deposits collected pursuant to this section shall be governed by the provisions of K.S.A. 12-822 as amended.

(Code 2014)

(a)   In the event that any person, except the United States or the State of Kansas, shall fail to pay the fees or charges for such utility service (s), Utility service shall be terminated as provided in Sections 15-102 through 15-104. The governing body may refuse the delivery of utility service(s), as permitted by law, until such time as the fees and charges are paid in full.

(b)   In the event that any person, except the United States or the State of Kansas, residing, occupying, using, or operating on property to which utility service (s) furnished by the city is not paid, the unpaid fees or charges shall constitute a lien upon the property to which the utilities are furnished. The amount of the unpaid fees or charges shall be certified by the governing body to the county clerk of the county in which the property is located, to be placed upon the tax roll for collection, subject to the same penalties and collected in the same manner as other taxes are collected by law.

(c)   The lien, described in subsection (b) of this section, shall not attach to property for unpaid utility fees or charges when the utility service(s) have been contracted for by a tenant and not by the landlord or owner for the property to which the utility service is provided.

(d)   If at the time of application for utility service the applicant has an outstanding balance or unpaid fees or charges for utility services provided by the city, the application shall not be accepted until all fees or charges are paid in full.

(e)   If utility service is furnished to leased premises on the application and request of the lessor of the premises, then all billings for utilities furnished to such leased premises shall be made directly to the lessor, and the lessor shall be fully liable for the cost of service furnished.

(Code 2014)

A petty cash fund in the amount of $200.00 is established for the use of the city utilities department for the purpose of paying postage, freight, temporary labor, and other emergency expenses.

(Code 2014)

The petty cash fund shall be deposited in the regular depository bank of the city and paid out on the order of the city clerk by check which shall clearly state the purpose for which issued. 

(Code 2014)

Whenever the petty cash fund becomes low or depleted, the city clerk shall prepare vouchers covering expenses as have been paid from the petty cash fund and shall submit such vouchers together with the paid checks to the governing body for review and allowance of the amounts from the regular funds of the utilities. Warrants issued therefore shall be payable to the petty cash fund and shall be deposited therein to restore said petty cash fund to its original amount.

(Code 2014)

Water bills are due on the 15th of the month. If the full amount is not paid by the close of business on the 15th, or should the 15th fall on a weekend or holiday, by the close of business on the next business day, late fees of 10% will be assessed at the close of business and applied to the customer’s account. Customers may sign an extension agreement by the last day of the month to keep water from being disconnected. If customer fails to pay on an extension agreement, no further extensions will be granted for the remainder of the calendar year. If water service is disconnected for non-payment service will not be reinstated until all past due amounts are paid in full, along with any reconnect fees.

(Ord. 2034; Ord. 2049; Code 2024)

If water service is disconnected due to non-payment, a reconnection fee shall be assessed upon the account and must be paid prior to reconnection. The fee shall be assessed on the following scales, which shall apply to the customer’s entire history of service with the city:

•      First reconnection – no fee

•      Second reconnection - $25.00

•      Third reconnection - $50.00

•      Fourth reconnection - $75.00

•      After fourth reconnection - $100.00

(Code 2014)

(a)   The City Utility Department may, at the request of a utility customer, submit customer billing via an email address supplied by the customer.

(b)   Failure of the customer to receive said email billing does not negate the customer’s responsibility to pay all amounts due in any given billing period. The customer is responsible for notifying the City if he/she fails to receive his/her bill by email if he/she has signed up to do so.

(Ord. 2020)

The City Utility Department may accept utility payment through us of an online payment service. All costs and fees associated with said service shall be paid by the customer choosing to pay in that manner.

(Ord. 2020)

(a)   The City may, at its discretion, submit past due utility charges, or other charges, costs or fees due the City and being unpaid, for debt setoff to a collection bureau or appropriate state agency.

(b)   Debtor shall pay any and all charges related to the reasonable costs of collection of any fine/fee/costs of services, as well as any costs/ assessments for clean-up of the property for a municipal violation that is the issue herein. This specifically applies to, but is not limited to, charges for water, trash, electricity, property code violation, fines, parking tickets, municipal court fines, fees, court costs, interest accrued thereon, and any other debt due and owing the municipality. The costs of collection include, but are not limited to, court costs, surcharges, attorney fees, and collection agency fee, except that such costs of collection may not include both attorney fees and collection agency fees.

(Ord. 2020)