Submitted By: William E. Sexton, City Attorney
Presentation By: William E. Sexton
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Department: City Attorney
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (Motion Ready):
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Introduce Ordinance 2024-13 revising Section 70-685(a) of the Code of Ordinances concerning the procedure for the maintenance and refund of residential utility service deposits
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OCALA'S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Operational Excellence
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
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BACKGROUND:
In accordance with Section 70-683, Code of Ordinances, City of Ocala, Florida, and prior to the initiation of utility services, the City of Ocala, Florida requires all customers to provide a deposit.
Currently, Section 70-685(a), Code of Ordinances, City of Ocala, Florida, provides for the procedure to be utilized when refunding the aforementioned utility service deposits for residential accounts.
Following a review by City of Ocala staff of the procedures associated with the maintenance and refund of said residential utility service deposits, it has been determined that these procedures warranted an update and revision to improve the efficiency and efficacy of said procedures.
Staff has determined that the procedure for the maintenance and refund of utility service deposits could be improved if residential utility customers who (1) have been provided utility service for a period of at least 24 months; and (2) who have demonstrated not less than 12 months of satisfactory payment history should be eligible for a refund of their utility service deposit.
While staff intends to undertake a review of all accounts initially eligible for a refund following the proposed amendment of Section 70-685(a) proposed herein, future refunds in accordance with the amended Section 70-685(a) will only be made on a periodic basis, as initiated by City of Ocala staff, and/or following a specific request made by a City of Ocala utility service customer.
In addition to providing a benefit to customers who sat...
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