Shelby City Council amends utility-deposit rules, adopts uniform crediting timeline and sets certain deposits at $300

Shelby City Council on Oct. 20 approved a package of ordinances that revise how the city handles security deposits and billing for electricity, water and sewer accounts, adopting a uniform crediting timeline and changing proposed deposit levels after debate.

Council amended language to require the utility office ‘‘to have a reasonable time to ascertain that the obligations of the customer have been fully performed before being required to return any deposit’’ and to credit homeowner and commercial industrial deposits after 60 months (five years) unless the account has been terminated. For rental accounts, deposits are to be credited when the account is terminated. Any remaining deposit not used to credit an account is to be reimbursed within 30 calendar days, the ordinance…