City Clerk's Major Responsibilities to the City
City Hall's Administration section is responsible for monthly water and sewer billing/payments and reconciliation, distributes business licenses, providing support the Mayor and City Council, Bi-monthly accounts payables and payroll, safe keeping of City Council actions and decisions through minute, ordinance, and resolution record keeping, clerical support and record keeping.
Utility Billing and Schedule
The residential single family rate for water and sewer is a flat rate per month ($38.96 for water and $48.34 for sewer, a monthly total of $87.30). We bill in arrears, meaning that the bill you receive is for the previous month. Utility bills are sent out at the end of the month and the balance is due by the 15th of the next month. If the balance remains unpaid by the 15th a $10 late fee will be added. When charges are delinquent for a period in excess of 25 days, the water service may be disconnected until payment is made (per Ordinance 482, Section 6.2). Water shut offs are usually scheduled around the 25th of each month. If water is disconnected due to non-payment, a $25 reconnect fee will be added.
Payment Options/Forms of Payments
The City accepts payments of cash, check, money order, and most credit cards. You can access Allpaid to make payments online by credit card allpaid(dot)com and by phone at 888-604-7888 (for water/sewer payments use Pay Location Code: a002by). There is a service fee for using Allpaid that is based on the amount being charged. During those times when City Hall is closed you can drop your check or money order (no cash please) through the slot in our door and it will be processed the next business day.
New Water and Sewer Service Requests
Those wishing to start service must begin by filling out an Application for Residential (or Commercial) Water and Sewer Services (see applications below). If you are renting/leasing the property, the property owner/authorized agent of the owner must also sign your application. We prefer that all accounts are kept in the name of the property owner as they are ultimately held responsible for payment of all rates and charges. However, a copy of the utility billing will be issued to a tenant if requested to do so by the property owner. A deposit of $195 (cash, check, debit/credit card, or money order) is required for residential accounts and $198 for commercial accounts. Deposits are fully refunded (credited into your account) after there have been six consecutive months of on-time payments (no late fees, or NSF checks). Applications for service must be submitted to City Hall. Please also note that a new account cannot be opened until the previous owner/renter of the property has contacted City Hall to close their account and has paid the account in full.
Having Your Water Turned On or Off
When requesting to have your water turned on or off (except for emergencies) we require something in writing. It can be sent to us by email at chicityhall [at] gmail.com or just provide us with a written request with the address, date that you need the water on/off, and your name. When we turn water on we do require that someone be present in the house in case there are any leaks or open spigots. If you are moving and need your water turned off in addition to your written request be sure to make arrangements to pay your balance so that we can close your account. Requests to turn on/off water can be done Monday-Friday (except Wednesdays), 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. If you are moving in over the weekend (Saturday or Sunday), we recommend your completed application and deposit be submitted prior to 3:00 p.m. the previous Thursday as your service may not be connected until the following Monday. We try hard to be available when you need us but that's not always possible if there are other urgent matters to attend to.