Chapter 14.01
UTILITY BILLING

Sections:

14.01.010    City utility billing procedure.

14.01.010 City utility billing procedure.

A. City water, sanitary sewer, stormwater and garbage charges shall be billed on a monthly basis on a combined statement to the property owner. The property owner shall be responsible for payment of the utility bill.

B. Utility bills are due upon receipt and become delinquent after the last business day of the month after the billing date. If the utility charges are not paid by the last business day of the month, a 10 percent delinquency charge shall be added to the unpaid bill.

C. The finance department shall mail a delinquency notice to each delinquent customer at the customer’s billing address and, as required by RCW 35.21.217, to the physical address of service, if that differs from the billing address, within 40 days after the billing date.

D. Within 10 days of delinquency, the finance department shall develop a list of such delinquencies.

E. In the event that any person, firm or corporation shall tender as payment for water, sanitary sewer, storm, and garbage charges an amount insufficient to pay in full all of the charges billed, the amount paid shall be applied in full in the following order: (1) penalties, (2) miscellaneous fees and charges, (3) taxes, (4) garbage, (5) storm, (6) sewer and (7) water. In the event of overpayment, the remaining balance shall be proportionally distributed among all utility funds.

F. If water or sewer charges remain unpaid on the forty-fifth day after billing, water to such delinquent premises is subject to shut-off by the city. In which case there will be a shutoff fee as established by city resolution added to the unpaid bill.

G. There shall be a fee as established by city resolution for both shutoff and reinstatement of water services.

H. All fees, fines or charges provided for in this section shall be paid to the finance department before the city may reinstate water service to any delinquent premises. Upon verification from the city’s finance department, services shall be reinstated no later than closing of the next following business day. Customers requesting reinstatement of service after regular hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) shall pay a fee as established by city resolution prior to reinstatement.

I. A nonrefundable administrative fee as established by city resolution shall be charged upon request for new service.

J. If utility charges remain unpaid for 120 days from original billing the property is subject to lien processes.

K. There shall be a charge as established by city resolution for checks returned for insufficient payment.

L. The city may, upon application by property owner, provide duplicate billing to tenants residing in the service address. The fee for this optional service shall be as established by city resolution and be included in the monthly utility bill.

M. In the event of a declared emergency pursuant to Chapter 2.76 PMC, the city council may modify or suspend, in whole or in part, the utility billing process specified in subsections A through M of this section; the terms and period of such suspension or modification may be designated by adopting a resolution; said resolution shall specify, at minimum, the terms and the period normal processes are modified or suspended and a description of the customer population to which the suspension or modification is applicable. (Ord. 1821 §§ 1 – 6, 2012; Ord. 1803 § 1, 2011; Ord. 1766 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1724 § 1, 2009; Ord. 1688 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1541 § 1, 2003; Ord. 1533 § 1, 2002).