A.    Utility users who are not the owners of the premises on which utility service is being supplied shall pay to the City for deposit with the City Treasurer an amount sufficient to cover the cost of utility rates which may accumulate. The amount of the deposit shall be set by ordinance of the Vernal City Council and shall be made as part of the annual budget of the City.

    B.    Prior to providing utility service to any property of which the utility user occupying the premises on the property is not the owner of the property itself, Vernal City shall require the owner of the property to complete and submit to the City an owner's payment guarantee form which will guarantee to the City payment of any and all water, sewer or garbage billings billed by the City for such services to the property. If the owner specifies in the owner's payment guarantee form that all utility billings are to be sent to the owner, no deposit for utility services to the property shall be required. If the owner specifies in the owner's payment guarantee form that all utility billings are to be sent to the user occupying the premises on the property, and if the owner will be responsible for any delinquent accounts, a deposit of fifty (50) dollars shall be deposited with the City Treasurer prior to the utility service being provided. If the owner fails to properly complete and submit to the City the owner's payment guarantee form or if the owner refuses to accept responsibility for any delinquent accounts for utility services, utility services to the property will only be made after a deposit fee of one hundred (100) dollars has been deposited with the City Treasurer.

    The City Treasurer shall issue a receipt of deposit for all deposits made. The amount deposited shall be refunded to the consumer; provided, that no payments for utility services have become delinquent during a twelve (12) month period of service or when services are terminated. The amount refunded shall include interest earnings computed at the average passbook savings rate of interest.

    D.    All bills for utility services must be paid promptly without reference to the deposit. Whenever any consumer of utility services shall have failed to pay for the utility services rendered to such premises, the money deposited or any part thereof may be applied to payment of such delinquent bill by the City Treasurer. (Added during 1993 recodification)