13.15.005 Deposits.
The town shall charge the following deposit fees for setting up each utility account when it is established and when changed from time to time: $100.00 for water or sewer only accounts and $200.00 for water and sewer accounts.
The council may adjust the deposit amount by ordinance as it deems necessary. The deposit fee will be refunded after one year of timely payment of utility bills in full to the town, with the refund automatically issued as an account credit; or, the deposit fee will be refunded upon account closure; provided, that the account is in good standing with no arrearages due the town, whichever occurs first.
(1) Deposit Fee Waiver. Residential customers may submit, by written request on a town form, to have the utility deposit fee waived; provided, the criteria stated below is fully met as determined by town staff.
(2) The mayor, or his designee, is empowered to approve a request made for a utility deposit fee waiver upon receipt of a written request to do so from a town utility customer. Upon receipt of such notice from the customer, the mayor, or his designee, shall review the customer’s account to ensure a waiver is found to be appropriate and shall not directly place the town into an uncollectable situation.
(3) Town staff have the authority to deny any requests made if they determine the criteria as stipulated in this section is not fully met and may submit any denied requests made to council for further review upon written receipt from the utility customers.
(4) Deposit Fee Waiver Criteria to Make Request.
(a) Customer who is or will be relocating within/out of the town limits.
(b) Customer acting as responsible billing party, requesting account name change.
(c) Customer with multiple utility accounts, establishing an additional account.
(5) Deposit Fee Waiver Criteria to Approve Request. This section shall apply as the basic needed criteria overall and all subitems under subsection (4) of this section.
(a) Customer has an active utility account with the town for the most recent one-year period;
(b) The customer’s account is in good standing with no more than one delinquency notice;
(c) Customer can provide proof of ownership due to death, divorce, or other form of long-term ownership resulting from immediate family;
(d) Customer can provide proof of payment history including but not limited to furnishing bank statements and/or utility receipts applicable to their account;
(e) Customer accounts are nontransferable outside of these specific stipulations and require a new utility account be established;
(f) This section shall not apply to landlord-tenant utility accounts and remain fully collectable for utility deposits.
(6) The town staff shall use their best judgement and investigate and review requests thoroughly prior to processing any utility deposit waivers. Staff shall submit for council approval any requests that may represent an actual conflict of interest, including those submitted by themselves, any staff, family members, or any other known persons that give rise to a conflict of interest.
(7) The town may require returning customers who left an outstanding balance on their accounts to pay their previous balance, plus penalties and interest pursuant to its policies, and to provide a double security deposit, as a condition for providing water or water-sewer service. Deposits for these accounts shall remain on the customer’s account for the duration of their service and shall not be refundable until after termination of service has occurred. (Ord. 655 § 2, 2022; Ord. 625 § 1, 2020; Ord. 582 § 2, 2016; Ord. 550 § 2, 2012)