A customer who is not satisfied with the outcome of the informal hearing has the right to appeal to the District’s Hearing Officer. The Hearing Officer is a management-level employee, not associated with the District’s Customer Service Department, who has been designated by the Commissioners to review appeals from informal conferences. The appeal must be received by the District’s Hearing Officer within 5 working days of the informal conference.
Appeal - Hearing Procedure
The customer shall have the option of a hearing in person at the District’s main office or by telephone. The hearing must take place during regular business hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and within 10 business days of the receipt of the appeal. The customer should arrange for a specific time and date for the Appeal Hearing.
The Hearing Officer may use a recording device or other appropriate means of preserving a record of the hearing; the customer may provide, at the customer’s expense, a court reporter or other means of establishing a record of the hearing. The customer shall have the right of counsel; but the customer, at the time the hearing is scheduled, must advise the District whether the customer will be represented by counsel.
The customer shall open the Appeal Hearing with a statement concerning the appeal and then present evidence in support of the appeal. The customer shall have the reasonable right to examine the District’s records concerning his or her account. After the customer has completed the presentation of the evidence, the appropriate District employees will present the District’s position.
The customer shall have the right to present additional evidence to rebut the District’s position. The Hearing Officer may inquire of the customer or any witness.
Appeal - Written Decision
The Hearing Officer shall provide the customer with a written decision following the appeal. The written decision shall include the following: the nature of the customer’s appeal, the decision of the Hearing Officer, and the reasons for the decision. The decision shall be promptly sent by certified mail to the customer following the Appeal Hearing.
The customer shall have three days following receipt of the decision to make any payments required in the decision. If the customer refuses to accept delivery of the written decision or fails to make the payments as required, the District may disconnect service and/or proceed with further collection efforts without further notice to the customer.