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EMERGENCY UTILITY SHUTOFF RECOMMENDATIONS <br />Minnesota Cold Weather Rule prohibits utilities from shutting off electricity and gas to <br />homes between Oct 15 and April 15. However, if the owner is not current in his/her <br />payments, and makes no attempt to try and catch up and/or follow a payment plan, then <br />the prohibition does not apply. The utility has the legal right to shut off services! Water <br />service can be shut off for nonpayment without following the Cold Weather Rule. <br />ERMU follows that Rule to the letter! These are the steps currently used to carry out the <br />mandates of the Cold Weather Rule: <br />If there is no payment by the 15`" due date, a late payment notice (reminder) with a <br />10% penalty is sent within 5 days after due date. <br />2. If the payments for the past due bills are more then 2 months behind, ERMU <br />attempts to contact the owner to set up a payment plan with a notice hung on the <br />door (also a $20 fee is added to the bill for the notice being hung). <br />3. If no contact is made after the notice is hung on the door, ERMU attempts to <br />contact the homeowner or renter. They usually are given 3 days to contact <br />ERMU. <br />4. If the property is being rented then the homeowner is contacted and given a 24 <br />hour notice of the disconnection. <br />5. Note: by the time the second payment is past due and disconnect notice is issued, <br />the owner has consumed electricity and water without payment for at least 3.5 <br />months. <br />At present, no attempt to shut off the water or inquiry to the gas company is made <br />regarding status of gas shut off. Also, no other City or County entity is notified, no <br />mortgage holder is notified, and no visit to the property is made to determine occupancy <br />status. <br />This present mechanism governing shut off is not working effectively in today's <br />environment. There are presently 229 foreclosed homes in Elk River and that number is <br />expected to grow. Several of these foreclosed homes are abandoned so there is little <br />chance of contacting the owner. A shut off without winterizing assures a freeze up <br />resulting in massive damage to the structure! We need to alter our approach as follows: <br />