HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd #289 amendments to code municipal utility service ORDINANCE NO. 289
CITY OF ORONO
HENNEPIN COUNTY,MINNESOTA
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE II, CHAPTER 14, ARTICLE III,
DIVISION I, SECTION 14-75 OF THE CITY CODE CONCERNING
DISCONTIUANCE OF MUNICIPAL UTILITY SERVICE
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ORONO ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Orono City Code Title II, Chapter 14, Article III, Division I, Section 14-75
is hereby amended by adding the underlined language and deleting the strikethrough language as
follows:
(a) Grounds for Discontinuance. All municipal utilities may be shut off or discontinued
whenever it is found that:
(1) The owner or occupant of the premises served, or any person working on any
connection with the municipal utility systems, has violated any related requirement of
this Code or any connection with the system;
(2) Any charge for a municipal utility service, or any other financial obligation imposed
on the present owner or occupant of the premises served, is unpaid after due notice; or
(3) There is fraud or misrepresentation by the owner or occupant in connection with any
application for service or delivery or charges.
(b) Notice and Procedure. It is citypolicyto annuallycertifydelinquent utilityaccounts to
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Hennepin County for collection with the following year's property tax levy. If it is
deemed more appropriate to discontinue utility service by reason of nonpayment of bills,
it is the policy of the city to discontinue utility service to customers only after notice and
a meaningful opportunity to be heard on disputed bills. The city's form for application
for utility service and all bills shall contain, in addition to the title, address, and
telephone number of the official in charge of billing, clearly visible and easily readable
provisions to the effect:
(1) That all bills are due and payable on or before the date set forth on the bill;
(2) That if any bill is not paid by or before that date, a second bill will be mailed
containing a cutoff notice that if the bill is not paid within ten days of the mailing of
the second bill, service will be discontinued for nonpayment; and
(3) That any customer disputing the correctness of his or her bill shall have a right to a
hearing at which time he or she may be represented in person and by counsel or any
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other person of his or her choosing and may present orally or in writing his or her
complaint and contentions to the city official in charge of utility billing. This official
shall be authorized to order that the customer's service not be discontinued and shall.
have the authority to make a final determination of the customer's complaint.
Requests for delays or waiver of payment will not be entertained; only questions of
proper and correct billing will be considered. In the absence of payment of the bill
rendered or resort to the hearing procedure provided herein, service will be discontinued
at the time specified, but in no event until the charges have been due and unpaid for at
least 30 days.
When it becomes necessary for the city to discontinue utility service to a customer for
nonpayment of bills, service will be reinstated only after all bills for service then due
have been paid, and must be in accordance with § 14-78 of this code, as that ordinance
may be amended from time to time.
(c) Cold Weather Rule. Pursuant to M.S. 216B.097, as it may be amended from time to
time, no service of a residential customer shall be disconnected if the disconnection
affects the primary heat source for the residential unit when the disconnection would
occur during the period between October 1 and April 30, the customer has declared
inability to pay on forms provided by the city, the household income of the customer is at
or below 50% of the state median household income as documented by the customer to
the city, and the customer's account is current for the billing period immediately prior to
October 1 or the customer has entered into a payment schedule and is reasonably current
with payments under the schedule. The City Clerk shall, between August 1 and October
30, of each year, notify all residential customers of these provisions.
SECTION 2. This ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its
passage and publication.
ADOPTED this 26 day of February, 2024 by the City Council of the City of
Orono, Minnesota.
CITY OF ORONO
B tfil
y:
Dennis Walsh, Mayor
ATTEST:
Chri ti usia , ity Clerk
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SUMMARY PUBLICATION
ORDINANCE NO. 289
CITY OF ORONO
HENNEPIN COUNTY,MINNESOTA
AN ORDINANCE UPDATING THE CITY CODE CONCERNING
DISCONTIUANCE OF MUNICIPAL UTILITY SERVICE
The City Council of the City of Orono, Minnesota approved updates to articles of the city
code of ordinances, Title II, Chapter 14, Article III, Division I, Section 14-75 and adopts
notice and procedural requirements for discontinuance of municipal utility service for
customer failure to make payments when due. The complete text of this ordinance is
available at city hall or www.oronomn.gov.
CITY OF ORONO
/s/Dennis Walsh, Mayor
Attest:
Is/Christine Lusian, City Clerk
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