UTILITY COLLECTION PROCEDURES
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Utility Billing – Procedures
Bills are mailed by the 1st of each month; payment is due by the 17th or in the case of weekends, the following Monday or next regular working day. All three services including water, sewer and refuse will be billed together under a customer account and be paid in a timely manner as established by these regulations to be current. As per Ordinance, all three services will be BILLED and in the case of a vacant lot, only water will be billed with NO EXCEPTIONS being made as long as the water service is being provided.
Receipt of Payment/Late Payment Charge
Payments made after the 17th of each month will be subject to a 10 % Late Payment Charge and will be applied automatically to the total amount due. Payments must be received at City Hall prior to or on the day of the 17th.
Termination Notices/Disconnects
Termination notices are sent out by the 18th of each month or next regular working day providing the customer sufficient notice of disconnect on the determined final date which will be the 27th of each month or in the case of weekends, the following Monday or next regular working day.
Disconnects for the month will be made on the 28st or next regular working day in the case of weekends.
Partial Payments
Partial payments will not be accepted on current or delinquents bills.
Payment Extensions
Payment extensions for current bills due will be granted for the 17th of the following month at which time customer agrees to pay entire balance due on account, both current and delinquent. Not further extensions will be granted after the services have been disconnected until full payment has been collected. Failure to pay by the 17th will result in disconnection of services and a $50.00 reconnect fee will be automatically collected at the time of payment. A $25.00 fee will be collected at the time of extension must be obtained by account holder or spouse in person at City Hall.
NO EXCEPTIONS!
Meter Account Set-up Fee
A meter account set-up fee of $100.00 per ¾” meter must be paid in full prior to services being activated. This is not a meter deposit and is not refundable. (Ref.: Rate Ordinance for larger meters)
Service Charge/Fee
A service charge/fee of $25.00 per meter account must be paid at time service is activated.
Reconnect Fees
Accounts that have been disconnected due to being in delinquent status have to pay an automatic $50.00 fee to have the meter reconnected in addition to regular service charges already owed and must be paid prior to the reconnect of such service.
Transfer Fees
A $50.00 transfer fee is due when a customer account is moved to a different address/location, customer to customer transfers are not allowed. Fee CANNOT be applied to next regular bill and is due at the time of request for transfer. Any person, firm or corporation owing for water use and moving to other premises shall pay all former delinquencies before service is transferred. Accounts can be left open after transfer for a period of no longer than five (5) calendar days from the date of request in the cases of moving out or for cleaning purposes. No customer can have two (2) open accounts without paying the proper connection fees for each meter after this time.
Return Checks
A $35.00 fee will be charged automatically to all returned checks. All checks will be run through the financial institution only once. Upon return of financial document, your account will be considered unpaid and service subject to/and shall be disconnected for non-payment. Account balance and all incurred fees shall be paid in full prior to reconnection of service. Also any customer with a total of three returned checks at any time during the duration of their account with the City will be required to pay in cash, money order or cashier’s check for future services and no further checks will be accepted. In addition, checks will not be accepted for returned checks, only cash, money order or cashier’s check.
Weekend or After Hours Service
Weekend service will not be provided in any case unless for emergency, safety or leak situations under normal operations procedures. Service connects or delinquent reconnects will not in any case be provided to any customer account as a normal operating policy. All employees are prohibited to perform any such services regardless of situation that may arise or the person requesting such services.
Authority to Reconnect or Connect Services
It is the policy of the City of Poth to disallow any requests or orders made by the Mayor City Council Members, City Officials or Supervisor or Regular Employees not in accordance with the normal established rules in the operation, billing or collections of utilities. All matters relating to the utility systems under this method of operation in the billing, collections and the provision of service must be properly authorized by the issuance of a work order from the Utility Department office and collection of full payment has been secured in order that adequate control is maintained in the public service.
City’s Address, Phone Number and Fax Number
City of Poth
P.O. Box 579
200 N. Carroll St.
Poth, TX 78147
830-484-2111 Office
830-484-2374 Fax
The City of Poth Utility Collection Procedures Rules and Regulations are in addition to and in compliance to City of Poth Water Ordinance and Rates Ordinance