HomeMy WebLinkAbout054 - 05/21/1996 - AMENDING CITY CODE RELATING TO THE BILLING PROCEDURES OF CITY UTILITIES ORDINANCE NO. 54 , 1996
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AMENDING SEVERAL SECTIONS OF ARTICLE XII OF CHAPTER 26
OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS RELATING TO
THE BILLING PROCEDURES OF CITY UTILITIES
WHEREAS, Article XII of Chapter 26 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins currently
provides that the functions of the utility billing and collection shall be performed by Customer and
Information Services ("CIS"), which is a division within the City's Finance Department; and
WHEREAS,the City Charter confers upon the City's Financial Officer the ministerial power
and duty to collect all funds received by the City, which includes collecting all revenues received by
the City's utilities; and
WHEREAS, the City Manager is recommending that the Financial Officer's ministerial
function of collecting revenues received by the City's utilities be delegated by the Financial Officer
to the City's Electric Utility; and
WHEREAS, in order to facilitate the delegation of this collection function to the Electric
Utility and to eliminate any confusion under Article XII of Chapter 26 of the City Code that might
arise as a consequence of such delegation, and to recognize that under the City Charter it is the
Financial Officer and not a particular City division or department that is given the power and duty
to collect City funds, several sections of Article XII need to be amended.
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS, as follows:
Section 1. That Section 26-711 of the Code shall be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 26-711. Definitions.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this Article, shall have the
meanings ascribed to them in this Section:
Financial Officer shall mean the head of the Financial Administration Unit or the
designated representative of the Financial Officer.
Owner includes legal representatives, assigns and successors in interest as well as
the actual or original owner of record of the property served by a city utility.
Utility bill shall mean the consolidated bill issued monthly by the Financial Officer
which separately itemizes the charges for each utility service provided to a customer
by the city.
Section 2. That Section 26-712(a) of the Code shall be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 26-712. Utility bill authorized; procedures.
(a) The fees and charges established by this Code for services from the electric,
stormwater, water and wastewater utilities may be billed together in one (1) utility
bill with such fees and charges separately itemized, and shall be billed to utility users
not less than once each month. The Financial Officer shall collect, receive and
disburse all such fees and charges for the separate utility funds in accordance with the
Charter and related provisions of this Code.
Section 3. That Section 26-713(b) and(d)of the Code shall be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 26-713. Due date; delinquency.
(b) Billing for utility fees and charges and any other notices related to utility billing
are effective on the date that they are deposited in the mail addressed to the last
known address of the user as shown on the records of the Financial Officer .
(d) Before discontinuing a utility service for nonpayment of any utility use charge,
fee, deposit or assessment prescribed by this Code, the city shall give written notice
to the user of the delinquency and the intent to terminate service, unless notice has
been waived in writing by prior agreement concerning payment of the delinquent
amounts. If the user files a written request with the Financial Officer prior to the
termination date set forth in the notice, the Financial Officer shall schedule a protest
hearing before a city hearing officer on any disputed matter relative to the proposed
discontinuance of utility service. The user may appeal an unfavorable decision to the
Financial Officer whose decision is final.
Section 4. That Section 26-716 of the Code shall be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 26-716. Budget billing.
If any metered single-family residential user meeting the criteria of the budget billing
program so requests,the Financial Officer may estimate the average monthly water
or electricity charges of that customer based upon the customer's historic use of water
or electric service, and bill the customer such average charge(s) each month in
addition to fees and charges for any other utility service received. In such cases, the
average charges will be billed for eleven (11)consecutive billing periods and the bill
will be adjusted in the twelfth billing period by charging for any water or electricity
used but not paid for through the averaged bills or by applying a credit to the
customer's account for overpayments. The monthly budget billing amount will be
adjusted as necessary for charges in the base electrical rate for electric utility charges
or for changes in the metered water rates for water utility charges.
Section 5. That Section 26-719 of the Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 26-719. Discontinuance of service at user's request.
All orders for termination of water, wastewater or electric service shall be made to
the Financial Officer at least three(3) days prior to the desired discontinuance date.
The user will be liable in any event for utility services consumed until the final meter
reading is obtained.The termination notice given by the user does not relieve the user
in any way from any minimum charges or payments guaranteed under a service
contract.
Introduced,considered favorably on first reading,and ordered published this 7th day of May,
A.D. 1996, and to be presented for final passage on the 21st day of May, A.D. 1996.
Mayor /
ATTEST:
City Clerk v
Passed and adopted on final reading this 21 st day of Ma . . 19 l. /
ayor
ATTEST:
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City Clerk J