NOTICE OF CHANGE OF POLICY

The City of Cocoa took the following changes to the Utility Handbook to the Cocoa City Council on June 24, 208.
The underlined items have been added to the current policy.

All accounts, whether vacant or occupied, will be billed a prorated monthly base charge for all services provided to the property. The monthly base charges are the fixed availability costs of supplying the service to the customer and/or the prorated annual cost of the service. The owner of every building, premise, lot or house shall be obligated to pay the rates, fees, and charges for all services provided on the premises when the property is unoccupied.

When a change of occupancy takes place on any premises supplied by the city with water and/or wastewater service, written or verbal notice thereof shall be given at the Customer Service Division prior to the date of change by the outgoing customer. The outgoing customer shall be held responsible for all utility service rendered on such premises until such notice is so received by the city and the city has had reasonable time to discontinue the water and wastewater service. However, if such notice has not been received, the application of a succeeding occupant for water and wastewater service will automatically terminate the prior account. A customer's deposit may be transferred from one service location to another if both locations are supplied water and wastewater service by the city.

Bills for service to a rental unit shall be payable by the owner of the rental unit, unless the tenant or prospective tenant contracts directly with the city for service. In the event the tenant or prospective tenant of a rental unit contracts directly with the city for service, then, upon termination of the tenancy, bills for service shall again be payable by the owner of the rental unit until such time as a new tenant contracts directly with the city for service. The owner of a rental unit shall be obligated to promptly notify the city of the commencement and termination of any tenancy of its rental unit. An administrative fee will be charged for transferring accounts to the owner’s name.

When an owner of a property has an outstanding debt for utility services provided to the property, the balance must be paid in full before water and/or wastewater service will be set up for a new tenant.

In effect, all accounts whether active or inactive will be billed the base charges for all services. As such, when a tenant terminates an account, the account will be reactivated in the owner’s name and the owner will be billed all of the base rates until a new tenant request service. Also, the owners of all vacant property will be billed base rates. The justification is as follows:

Water, Sewer and Reuse – the monthly base charges are the fixed availability costs of supplying the service to the customer.

Garbage – The monthly rates are the prorated annual cost of the service. Garbage rates are negotiated on an annual rate. Unincorporated areas are billed on the tax bill and are not credited If not used. This policy applies the same practice to the incorporated customers.

Stormwater – The monthly rates are the prorated annual cost of the service and should be charged to all properties.

The net effect of this policy changes is that instead of terminating the accounts when the property is vacant, the City will continue to bill all services including the utility services for City of Cape Canaveral.

If there are any questions or concerns regarding this Policy Change, please do not hesitate to contact:
Micki Abdi, Deputy Finance Director, City of Cocoa at: 321-639-7509.