ORDINANCE NO. BL2008-293

An Ordinance amending Chapters 15.32 and 15.48 of the Metropolitan Code pertaining to the billing procedures and due dates for water and sewer bills.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. That Section 15.32.190 of the Metropolitan Code is hereby amended by deleting subsection B. in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following new subsection B.:

B. An additional amount equal to the greater of five percent of the total current net billing or ten dollars shall be added to the net billing, the total of which shall be the gross billing; provided, that the gross bill will be due if the net bill is not paid by the due date specified in the bill, which due date shall not be less than twenty-five days from the billing date. Further, to provide consistency in the due date for billing, a customer’s bill due date shall be on the same day each month, provided that if the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the bill shall not be deemed delinquent until the following business day. The gross bill will be combined with any arrears to determine the total amount due.

Section 2. That Chapter 15.48 of the Metropolitan Code is hereby amended by deleting Section 15.48.050 in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following new Section 15.48.050:

15.48.050 Establishment of billing districts--Authority of department.
For the purpose of systematically and efficiently reading meters and billing accounts, the proper officials of the department may establish or divide the territory supplied by water into such reading or billing districts as they may deem necessary. Once a customer is placed within a particular reading or billing district, such customer’s bill shall be due on the same day of the month each month.

Section 3. That Chapter 15.48 of the Metropolitan Code is hereby amended by deleting Section 15.48.210 in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following new Section 15.48.210:

15.48.210 Payment due--Net and gross bills.
The net billing of all accounts, both quarterly and monthly, shall be paid not later than the due date specified on the bill, which shall be not less than twenty-five days after the billing date. After the due date has passed without payment, the gross bill shall then be due and payable; and no discount shall be allowed thereafter unless, in the judgment of the proper officials of the department, there is a good cause shown why the net bill was not paid within the date allowed for payment or that the payment of the account was held up pending an investigation of the account.

Section 4. This Ordinance shall take effect from and after its passage, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Sam Coleman, Emily Evans, Vivian Wilhoite

Amendment No. 1
To
Ordinance No. BL2008-293

Madam President:

I move to amend Ordinance No. BL2008-293 by deleting Section 1 in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following new Section 1:

“Section 1. That Section 15.32.190 of the Metropolitan Code is hereby amended by deleting subsection B. in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following new subsection B.:

B. An additional amount equal to five percent of the total current net billing shall be added to the net billing, the total of which shall be the gross billing; provided, that the gross bill will be due if the net bill is not paid by the due date specified in the bill, which due date shall not be less than twenty-five days from the billing date. Further, to provide consistency in the due date for billing, a customer’s bill due date shall be on the same day each month, provided that if the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the bill shall not be deemed delinquent until the following business day. The gross bill will be combined with any arrears to determine the total amount due.”

Sponsored by: Sam Coleman