title
APPENDIX A - SCHEDULE OF FEES - UTILITIES (B)
Ordinance No. 0-08-16
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 27, ARTICLE 1, SUBSECTION 27-15(d) OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA RELATING TO RECONNECTION OF UTILITY SERVICE; AMENDING APPENDIX A, UTILITIES SECTION (7), SUBSECTION b(4)(i) SERVICE CHARGES BY INCREASING THE DELINQUENT DISCONNECTION FEE AND ELIMINATING THE SAME DAY RECONNECTION FEE FOR REQUESTS MADE DURING NORMAL WORKING HOURS; PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE; PROVIDING DIRECTIONS TO THE CODIFIER; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
The City Commission at its meeting of April 14, 2008 approved the Regional Utilities Committee's recommendation to authorize the City Attorney to draft an ordinance amending Appendix A by increasing the delinquent disconnection fee and eliminating the same day reconnection fee for requests made during normal working hours.
Under current policies, customers who are delinquent in making payments are charged a $20 fee for the field visit to disconnect service for nonpayment. Once payment is made in full, the customer is charged another $40 fee to have service reconnected the same day payment is made. Timing issues between the disconnection action and customer payments on the same day often yield customer complaints that are difficult to explain. Staff recommend the separate $40 reconnection fee be eliminated and the delinquent service fee be increased by $20 to cover the two field visits required to disconnect then reconnect service. This recommendation effectively reduces delinquent processing fees by $20. All customers making delinquent payment in full by close of business would be reconnected that same day without an additional fee.