Item 5: Ordinance Concerning Fee-Setting and Charges

Home Browse Search

(I) The obtaining of equity between different classes of customers so that one class of customers does not pay more than its proportionate share of the expenses of providing sewer service. (3) If the city manager determines that one or more of the factors listed in subsection (2) of this section is irrelevant or inapplicable, the manager shall notify the mayor and council of that determination. ([3]) 4 Limitations. The following limitations apply to charges set by the city manager for wastewater service, stormwater service and regional wastewater treatment service: (a) Charges shall be imposed on a monthly basis. Each customer shall be notified, in at least one annual billing for the service, of the rate or the amount of the charge and the allocation of revenue expected from application of the charge. (b) The charges for regional wastewater treatment service shall distinguish between the following classes of customers: single dwelling units, duplexes, and general wastewater customer use based on low, medium, and high or industrial loading strengths and may impose a surcharge on high strength industrial users based on biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids concentrations in excess of domestic strength levels. (c) The charges for local wastewater service may, but need not, distinguish between classes of customers. (d) The monthly charge for wastewater service and regional wastewater treatment service shall be a fixed fee together with a fee based on volume of use of water (partial flow- based rate). (e) When the wastewater service rate is based on volume, the volume shall be calculated by actual measurement of the wastewater discharged (the costs of measurement to be borne by the customer) or by an estimate based on the wastewater customer's average monthly water consumption during the previous December through April period, or, if no water consumption figures are available for at least three full months during this period, the consumption of other similar customers (for residential customers) or actual monthly water consumption (for non-residential customers). (f) The charges for stormwater service shall distinguish between the following classes of customers: small residential, medium residential and general stormwater customer, based upon the actual number of equivalent service units for each developed property or an average number of equivalent service units for a specific class. Special surcharges for stormwater service customers who receive extraordinary service shall be in addition to the standard charges for the customer's classification. Ordinance - 3 L:\CMO\2007 Council Agendas\M070529\S0705295-attA.doc