Whereas, the Town of Lapel, Indiana, desires to adopt an ordinance which will establish the discontinuance/disconnection of water and/or sewer service to customers who are classified as delinquent users.
Whereas, the Town of Lapel, Indiana, hereby adopts the following provisions pursuant to Indiana Code 36-9-25-11 and Indiana Code 36-9-25-11.5 to establish the authority to discontinue/disconnect water and/or sewer service for customers that are delinquent users.
That any customer of the Town of Lapel, for which the Town of Lapel provides water and/or sewer connection, shall be subject to the Ordinance.
That any customer being provided water and/or sewer services, who becomes thirty (30) days or more delinquent in their payment for such water and/or sewer services, shall be provided with a notice of disconnect. Disconnection shall take place on the specific date described in that notice.
That if the customer disputes the bill which has established the thirty (30) days delinquency of payment, the customer must immediately request in writing to the Town Hall of Lapel, at 720 South Ford Street, PO Box 999, Lapel, Indiana 46051-0999, and request a meeting with the Utility Superintendent and Town Clerk to dispute the bill which has resulted in the determination of a delinquent payment and right to discontinue/disconnect such services. That the request must be made in writing within the ten (10) day period of the receipt of the notice. After the above described meeting, the customer shall have an additional ten (10) days in order to submit payment to avoid the discontinuance/disconnection of service unless the disputed bill has been resolved and reconciled at the above described meeting.
That if the customer fails to pay the delinquent amount pursuant to the procedures described above, the Utility Superintendent shall be instructed to disconnect the water and/or sewer service to that user/customer.
That if the customer’s water and/or sewer connection is disconnected, there will be an additional three hundred dollar ($300.00) re-connection fee to the customer, in addition to the full payment of the delinquent and outstanding bill together with any interest and fees currently allowed pursuant to the Ordinances of the Town of Lapel.
That if discontinuance of sewer service by disconnection is required, the Town of Lapel, through its employees will accomplish such disconnection and/or reconnection by use of their utility easement and restore the property to its original state in a reasonable fashion excluding the replacement of ground cover, sod, or landscaping.
Read and adopted this 21 day of July, 2011.