CHAPTER II
DEFINITIONS
Unless another meaning is specifically indicated, the definitions listed below will apply to words herein. Where a definition is not specifically provided those definitions listed in IAC Chapters 19, 20, and 22 and Iowa Statute 384 shall apply for the specific utility in question.
- a. Account Status
- Open or Active - An account that is presently receiving utility service.
- Closed - An account that is no longer receiving utility service.
- Current - An open or closed account that has paid all outstanding balances prior to the due date, with the exception of the most recent bill prior to the due date and any amount not yet read and billed.
- Paid to Date - An open or closed account that has paid all billed utility charges but that may still have unread and/or unbilled charges outstanding.
- Fully Paid - A closed account that has fully paid any and all charges against it.
- Delinquent Any open or closed account that has not paid a service bill or service payment agreement amount in full on or before the last day for timely payment.
- Grossly Delinquent Any open or closed account that has not fully paid the amount due after more than 90 days past the due date posted on the bill.
- b. Applicant
- This shall be a person 18 years of age or older, partnership, firm, association, corporation, governmental agency or other legal entity, applying to the City for utility service(s).
-
- c. Account Holder, Primary
- This shall be a person 18 years of age or older, partnership, firm, association, corporation, governmental agency or other legal entity, that is receiving a city utility service, whose name is specifically listed on an account as the primary entity responsible for decisions regarding the service and for financial obligations created from the use of the service.
-
- d. Account Holder, Secondary
- This shall be a person 18 years of age or older, partnership, firm, association, corporation, governmental agency or other legal entity responsible by law for payment for a city utility service they are receiving, regardless of whether or not they are specifically listed on the account.
-
- e. Customers
- Shall be all account holders or anyone else that directly receives or uses a city utility service.
-
- f. Basic Service
- The cable entertainment television service tier above minimum service for which a separate price is charged.
-
- g. Bulk Service
- Cable entertainment television service to multiple residential living dwellings where owners accept the responsibility of a single billing for all their units regardless of occupancy. The owner pays and provides service to tenants, fee is usually included in rent.
-
- h. Cable Act
- Section 631 of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1934 as amended.
-
- i. Channel
- A portion of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum, or any other means of transmission, which is capable of carrying a video signal, an audio signal, a voice signal or a data signal, or any combination of such signals.
-
- j. City
- Shall mean and refer to the City of Hawarden.
-
- k. Combined Utility Service Account
- Shall be an account for the service of water, wastewater, gas, electric, and garbage collection.
-
- l. Combined Telecommunications Service Account
- Shall be an account for all telecommunications services, including telephone, Cable TV, and Internet services
-
- m. Commercial
- Basic analog and basic digital and DMX cable entertainment services to a business establishment whose customers are being provided access to the video services.
-
- n. Commission
- The Department of Commerce Utility Division.
-
- o. Complaint
- a statement or question by anyone whether a utility customer or not, alleging a wrong, grievance, injury, dissatisfaction, illegal action or procedure, dangerous condition or action, or utility obligation.
-
- p. Converter
- A device utilized by a subscriber to change the frequency or other characteristics of a signal.
-
- q. Cubic Foot
- A measure of gas having its meanings set forth at 250 IAC 19.1(3)e, which shall be construed in the context of use. (In general these definitions describe the quantity of gas occupying one cubic foot at specified conditions, including temperature and pressure).
-
- r. Customer
- See applicant or account holder
- s. Delinquent or delinquency
- An account for which a service bill or service payment agreement has not been paid in full on or before the last date for timely payment.
-
- t. Demand or Demand Power
- A quantity of electric power needed by the customer at a given point in time
-
- u. Deposit
- An amount determined by the Utility to be paid and kept on deposit with the Utility until good credit rating is achieved (usually within one year) or service is terminated.
- Initial Deposit Shall be a deposit required when first securing a utility service to include adding service if required according to the criteria herein.
- New Deposit Shall be a deposit required if the initial deposit has been returned and the criteria exists to require a deposit. It shall be figured the same way as the initial deposit.
- Additional Deposit - Shall be deposit monies required in addition to an initial or new deposit necessary to cover an increase in number and/or types of services, usage of service previously underestimated with the initial or new deposit required.
- v. Digital Base Package
- The lowest tier of digital cable television service.
-
- w. Drop
- The cable that connects the subscriber terminal at a point in the subscribers home, designated by the subscriber, to the nearest feeder cable of the communications system.
-
- x. Equipment
- One or more of the following but not limited to: converter, converter-descrambler, remote-control unit, security device, addressable control module, A/B switch, ground block, splitter, trap, cable modem, coaxial cable or fiber optic cable which is not inside wiring.
-
- y. Ethernet
- A physical link and data link protocol that operates at 10 Mbps (10,000,000 bits per second).
-
- z. FCC
- The Federal Communications Commission, its designee, or any successor thereto.
-
- aa. Gas
- Means manufactured gas, natural gas, other hydrocarbon gases, or any mixture of gases produced, transmitted, distributed or furnished by the utility.
-
- bb. Governing Body
- Hawarden City Council.
-
- cc. Heating and Calorific Values
- as set forth in 250 IAC 19.1(3)j. (Definitions for such values as BTU, therm, and various measures of BTUs evolved by combustion are found in the section cited.)
-
- dd. IUB
- Iowa Utilities Board.
-
- ee. Inside Wiring
- the cable that exists inside the subscribers home or business to a point 12 inches outside of the home or business, and includes any extra outlets, splitters, connections, fittings, or wall plates attached to it.
-
- ff. Installation
- the act of connecting or activating the communications system from the feeder cable to the subscriber terminal so that the subscriber may receive communications services.
-
- gg. Interruption of Utility Service
- any disturbance of the utility supply whereby at least fifty customers in one segment or in a portion of a distribution system has been disrupted.
-
- hh. Local Service
- the cable entertainment television service tier that includes the retransmission of local television broadcast signals.
-
- ii. Main
- a gas pipe, owner operated, or maintained by the utility, which is used for the purpose of transmission or distribution of gas, but does not include the service line.
-
- jj. Maximum Demand
- the greatest demand required by the customer during a specific length of time.
-
- kk. Meter
- a device that measures and registers the integral of a water, electric, or gas quantity with respect to time.
-
- ll. Pay-Per-View Television
- Digital cable television programming which is offered on a per-order basis. The programming is delivered over the telecommunications system on per-channel or per-program signals to subscribers for a fee or charge, in addition to the regular monthly fee for analog and digital cable television services.
-
- mm. Premium Channels
- the additional channels added to the basic cable TV service tier for which a separate price is charged.
-
- nn. Pressure
- an expression of pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure, i.e., gauge pressure (abbreviated psig)
-
- oo. Service
- any service, including the transmission of data, video and voice or any other service, whether originated by Utility or any other person, which is offered to any subscriber in conjunction with, or distributed over the communications system.
-
- pp. Service Rules
- the entire body of rules, procedures, and policies adopted by the City Council and on file for public inspection.
-
- qq. Serviceline
- a distribution line that transports a utility service from a common source of supply/service to a customer meter or the connection to a customers piping, whichever is farther downstream, or the connection to a customers piping if there is not a meter.
-
- rr. Set Top Box
- A digital signal converter which allows a customer to view digital cable television programming carried via a compressed digital signal to a standard television.
-
- ss. T1
- means a digital transmission link with a capacity of 1.544 Mbps (1,544,000 bits per second).
-
- tt. Telecommunication Services
- shall for the purposes of this document only be used as an all inclusive term to encompass Telephone, Cable TV, and Internet.
-
- uu. Timely Payment
- a payment on a customers account made on or before the date shown on a current bill for service, or on a form which records an agreement between the customer and the Utility for a series of partial payments to settle a delinquent account, as the date which determines application of a late payment charge to the current bill or future collection effort.
-
- vv. Unsatisfactory Payment History
- Is a payment record of the proposed account holder that:
- Has two or more late payments (past the bill due date) for any utility in the last twelve months;
- NSF checks or ACH reject notices in the last twelve months; 3) Receipt of more than two disconnect notices of any utility.
- ww. Utility
- shall be interchangeable with definition of City.
-
- xx. Utility Service
- shall be one of the following utility services offered by the City of Hawarden, Iowa to the customer to include but not limited to Potable Water, Wastewater, Electric, Gas, Solid Waste, Telephone and Cable, and Internet.