 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
UTILITY SERVICES - CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTERBilling and receiving the millions of dollars that flow in and out of the City is the job of the Utility Department. Personnel in the department calculate, bill, and collect payment for more than 6,400 water, sewer, irrigation and garbage customers per month. This equates to more than 109,000 meters read per year, and more than 83,000 utility bills issued per year. The department serves as a key City hub, answering all incoming calls at the main switchboard and processing citywide mail. Department personnel process new, ongoing and terminated accounts.
All applications for water connections, sanitary sewer, and/or solid waste service to any premises shall be made to the City in writing on forms provided for that purpose, and shall state fully all the purposes for which such water, sanitary sewer, and/or solid waste service is required and the location of the premises to be supplied, and shall be signed by the owner, tenant, or agent. Such application when accepted by the City or upon its performance of the service applied for, shall constitute a contract between the applicant and the City, which shall bind such applicant to pay to the City for the services rendered, its prescribed rates therefore, and to comply with all rules and regulations as prescribed and fixed hereby or as hereafter adopted.
|
Per Owner Occupied Unit |
Per Tenant Occupied Unit |
|
| Any Single Service Deposit | 50.00 |
100.00 |
| Multiple-Service Deposit: Water, Sanitary Sewer, Solid Waste | 100.00 |
200.00 |
The City shall have the right, however, to increase a deposit to an amount equal to three (3) times the highest monthly combined water, sanitary sewer, and solid waste bill from the customer's preceding year, whenever the same is deemed necessary to guarantee customer payment of future water, sanitary sewer, and/or solid waste bills. The City reserves the right to require proof of ownership to determine the amount of the applicable deposit. An owner-occupied unit that has a service history with the City for a minimum of two (2) consecutive years and has a satisfactory payment history for that two-year period shall not be required to pay a deposit. This provision shall apply to only one account per customer. A satisfactory payment history shall be defined as a payment history that consists of fewer than two (2) penalties, no returned checks, and no delinquencies. Deposits shall be returned to the depositor when all service provided and any delinquencies have been paid in full and further services are not required. The City may from time to time refund utility deposits to any customer of an owner-occupied unit who has established a satisfactory payment history with the City for a period of two (2) years.
UTILITY DEPOSITS - COMMERCIAL
Upon application for commencement of water, sanitary sewer, and solid waste service, a deposit shall be made with the Finance Department in an amount equal to two (2) times the estimated monthly combined water, sanitary sewer and solid waste bill for service to the account. All money so deposited shall be returned to the depositor when all service provided and any delinquencies have been paid in full and further services are not required. Annually, each deposit shall be reviewed on the basis of actual utilization and if any significant difference is noted, appropriate reduction or increase in the amount of the deposit shall be required accordingly.
A bill shall not be considered paid until remittance for same has been received at the office of the Finance Department, and the Department shall not be responsible for delays or losses in transportation in the mails or otherwise. The fact that a customer does not receive a bill shall not constitute grounds for late payment, discount or adjustment.
AUTOMATIC BANK PAYMENT
The City of Temple Terrace offers a FREE service to our valued customers - Automatic Bank Payment. Sign up for this service, and never again worry about a late utility bill payment. Your bill will be paid automatically by electronic funds transfer from your bank account to the City. No checks to write, no stamps to buy, no waiting in line, and the payment is not deducted from your bank account until the due date stated on your utility bill. What could be easier and more convenient?
To initiate Automatic Bank Payment, complete the authorization form and return it to Customer Service with a voided check. It typically takes about 30 days after the authorization form has been accepted by the City and processed by your bank for the Automatic Bank Payment service to begin. Upon receipt of authorization, your monthly statement will contain the following notation: "ABP". You must pay your bill in the normal manner until this statement appears on your bill.
For subsequent months, the funds to pay your bill will be transferred from your checking or savings account on the "Past Due After" date stated on your bill. No further action is required from you. Please remember to deduct the amount of your bill from your checking or savings account records. If, for any reason, your payment is not honored by your financial institution, it will be treated as a returned check.
Should the bank account you have authorized change or be closed, you are responsible for providing written notification to the City at least 30 days prior to the change.
Any adjustments or credits to the current bill will be reflected on the following month's bill. If you terminate your account with the City, the final bill will not be processed with the Automatic Bank Payment service; it will be sent directly to you for payment.
For more information on Automatic Bank Payment, contact your Customer Service Representative at (813) 989-7103.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS AUTOMATIC BANK PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION FORM
DELINQUENT BILLS
COLLECTION OF CHARGES FOR SEWER SERVICE WHEN WATER IS NOT SUPPLIED BY THE CITY
If any bill for sanitary sewer service charges rendered in connection with any premises not connected with the water system of the City shall not be paid when due, the owner, tenant or occupant of such premises shall cease to dispose of sewage or industrial wastes originating from or on such premises by discharge thereof directly or indirectly into the sewer system of the City until such sanitary sewer service charges, plus an additional charge equal to ten (10) percent of such bill which shall be added thereto, shall be paid and it shall be the duty of any district, private corporation, board, body or person, including owner of premises to cease supplying water or selling water for use on such premises within five (5) days after the receipt of notice of such delinquency from the City Manager, and if such district, private corporation, board, body or person shall not, at the expiration of such five day period, cease supplying water to or selling water for use on such premises, then the City Manager, unless the City shall have theretofore contracted to the contrary, shall shut off the supply of water to such premises by any legal process, and shall proceed forthwith to recover the amount of such sewer service charges, together with all costs of collection, including attorney's fees, in such lawful manner as he may deem advisable.COLLECTION OF CHARGES; ADDITIONAL REMEDY
All owners of property accepting services from the City, do, by such acceptance, consent that any lawful charge made for such service or services, together with the costs of collection, including attorney's fees, shall constitute a lien upon and against the property receiving such service or services, such lien to be enforced and collected by the City as provided by law. This remedy shall be in addition to all other remedies available to the City for the collection of such charges.
A customer for water, sanitary sewer, and solid waste service may terminate the contract for such service at any time by giving notice to the City and by paying all amounts due for services up to the date of termination of service by the City; but in case notice is not given or the bills due for service not paid, then the customer shall continue to be liable for service thereafter and for the minimum monthly rate or charge in case no water is consumed, even though the premises are vacated or occupied by other parties who fail to make application for service and sign a contract.
 |