Chapter 13.17
UTILITY ACCOUNTS

Sections:

13.17.010    Utility accounts.

13.17.020    Billing.

13.17.030    Due date.

13.17.040    Billing statements.

13.17.050    Returned payments.

13.17.060    Partial payments.

13.17.070    Delinquent accounts.

13.17.080    Delinquent account processing.

13.17.010 Utility accounts.

A. Utility accounts shall be established for any property, structure, or use receiving water, sewer, or stormwater services. The Finance Department may aggregate or separate accounts for such properties, structures, or uses as it determines appropriate considering property ownerships, tenants, consolidation of bills, shut-off and lien procedures, and any other applicable factors.

B. Accounts for water service shall be established as soon after water meter installation as feasible. Water service shall be billed from date of meter installation. Water service accounts shall only be terminated after removal of the structure or use receiving water service and removal of the meter as processed through a water shut-off. Accounts for structures which are temporarily or permanently vacant shall continue to receive regular service charges.

C. Accounts for sewer service shall be established as soon after the side sewer connection as feasible. Sewer service shall be billed from date of side sewer connection. Sewer service accounts shall only be terminated after removal of the structure or use receiving sewer service, and removal of the side sewer providing the service as documented by a side sewer permit inspection.

D. Stormwater service shall be billed at such time that Public Works notifies Utility Billing that impervious surface on a parcel has changed. Stormwater service accounts shall only be terminated when parcels are returned to “undeveloped” status based on a restoration plan approved by the City. (Ord. 2464 § 2 (part), 2009: Ord. 1682 § 7 (part), 1992).

13.17.020 Billing.

A. Billing for single-family residential shall be bimonthly. Billing for multi-family residential, commercial, other developed (stormwater only), and irrigation shall be monthly, except that multi-family residential, commercial, other developed, and irrigation may be billed bimonthly for isolated uses located within single-family areas. Billing dates may be staggered throughout the month and billing dates shall be established administratively by the Finance Director.

B. Fixed monthly charges shall apply from billing date to billing date, read date to read date, or shall apply for a one-month period of time, as determined by the Finance Director, and may be prorated based on the number of days in the billing period. Commodity charges shall be based on consecutive meter readings which shall be scheduled to be completed a reasonable time before the billing dates.

C. If on the billing date the meter reading for the billing period shall not have been completed, the consumption for the billing period shall be estimated from patterns of previous consumption.

D. For water and sewer accounts a final billing will be processed when a change in ownership occurs or when a change in tenants occurs. A final stormwater bill for a change in tenants will only be processed if the account is classified as single-family and is billed with the water or sewer bills as indicated in Section 13.17.040(B). For stormwater accounts classified as “other developed” a final bill will only be processed when there is a change in parcel ownership. An administrative fee in an amount established by the Finance Director to cover the administrative costs for processing a final bill shall be charged to any account for which a final billing is processed. (Ord. 2464 § 2 (part), 2009: Ord. 1762 § 7, 1994; Ord. 1682 § 7 (part), 1992).

13.17.030 Due date.

All rates and charges for water service, hydrant use, sewer service and stormwater management service shall be due on the day stated in the billing statement. (Ord. 2464 § 2 (part), 2009: Ord. 1682 § 7 (part), 1992).

13.17.040 Billing statements.

A. Water and Sewer billing statements for single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial and irrigation accounts shall be made in the name of the property owner, or pursuant to a property owner’s written agreement with the city, to a management company, tenant or other authorized agent.

B. For residential parcels classified as single-family by the stormwater code, Section 13.18.040(E), the stormwater fee shall be billed with the sanitary sewer or on the water bill for the entire parcel if the property is served by those utilities.

C. For “other developed” parcels (including duplexes), a single stormwater-only bill will be issued to the property owner (taxpayer) of record per the King County Assessor Records. At the written request of the property owner, the bill may be forwarded to a property management company or a payment processing center; however, no stormwater billings for “other developed” parcels will be made in the name of a tenant. Property held in common by several owners may be billed to a homeowners’ association or property management company.

D. A separate stormwater bill shall be issued to the property owner (taxpayer) of record per the King County Assessor Records for single-family and other developed parcels within the City which are not city water or sanitary sewer customers.

E. Billings made to persons other than the property owner shall not relieve the owner of the property from liability for payments of rates and charges for water service, hydrant use, sewer service and stormwater management service, including, but not limited to, monthly charges, commodity charges, delinquency charges, lien fees and court fees and shall not in any way affect the lien rights of the city against the property to which the services are furnished. (Ord. 2464 § 2 (part), 2009: Ord. 1682 § 7 (part), 1992).

13.17.050 Returned payments.

An account for which a payment for rates and charges for water, sewer, or stormwater services is made to the city and said payment is not honored by the bank or other financial institution for insufficient funds or for any other reason, shall be charged an administrative fee in an amount as established by the Finance Director. (Ord. 2464 § 2 (part), 2009: Ord. 2321 § 3, 2006: Ord. 1682 § 7 (part), 1992).

13.17.060 Partial payments.

(A) Any payment of fees and charges for water, sewer, or stormwater services shall be applied to the outstanding fees and charges in the following manner:

(1) Where a single combined bill is sent to an account holder for water, sewer and stormwater, any payment received shall be applied to the outstanding fees and charges in the following manner:

(a) To the fees and charges of the billing with the earliest due date.

(b) In the following order of fees and charges within said billing:

(i) Fees and charges not identified below.

(ii) Metro sewage disposal component of the sewer service charges.

(iii) Stormwater service charges.

(iv) Redmond collection component of the sewer service charges.

(v) Water service charges.

(2) Where separate bills for water, sewer, and stormwater are sent to a single account holder or to multiple account holders for a single parcel, any payment received shall be applied to the outstanding fees and charges owed by the account holder submitting payment. (Ord. 2464 § 2 (part), 2009: Ord. 1682 § 7 (part), 1992).

13.17.070 Delinquent accounts.

Any account for which a fee or charge shall remain unpaid at the close of business on the due date shall be delinquent. (Ord. 2464 § 2 (part), 2009: Ord. 1682 § 7 (part), 1992).

13.17.080 Delinquent account processing.

A. Interest shall be charged for any sewer or stormwater fee or charge, or any portion thereof, which has not been paid within sixty days of the due date. The interest rate shall be 8 percent per annum computed on a monthly basis. This interest charge shall be billed on each regular billing as the charges become applicable.

B. The Public Works Director together with the Finance Director shall establish regulations and procedures for discontinuing water service to properties for which water service fees become delinquent. These regulations and procedures shall provide for a date at which delinquent accounts will be processed for shutoff and shall provide for a notice to be given advising of the planned discontinuance of water service. Administrative fees in an amount established by the Finance Director to cover the administrative costs of notification and processing shall be charged to any account for which delinquent water fees and charges remain unpaid in accordance with said rules and regulations. Administrative fees in an amount established by the Finance Director to cover the cost to turn off and turn on water service shall be charged to any account for which an employee of the city is sent to the property to turn on or turn off the water in accordance with said rules and regulations.

C. All fees and charges for water, sanitary sewer and stormwater services including but not limited to all charges for turning water on or off, together with any penalties and interest that may be provided by ordinance, shall be a lien upon the property to which the water, sanitary sewer and/or stormwater service is furnished superior to all other liens and encumbrances whatsoever, except those for general taxes and local and special assessments. Liens shall be enforced by the city in the manner provided by law.

D. The Public Works Director together with the Finance Director shall establish regulations and procedures for the filing of liens against properties for non-payment of sewer and stormwater fees and charges. In the event that the city shall prepare and/or record a written lien against a property pursuant to state law, administrative fees in amounts established by the Finance Director shall be charged to cover the administrative costs of preparing and filing such lien and shall be added to the delinquent charges. In the event that the city shall prepare and/or file a claim in small claims court for non-payment of sewer and stormwater fees and charges, administrative fees in amounts established by the Finance Director shall be charged to cover the administrative costs of preparing and filing such claim and shall be added to the delinquent charges. In addition to the administrative fee, reasonable attorney’s fees as may be awarded by the court shall be charged to the account.

E. The additional and concurrent method of enforcing the lien of the City for the delinquent and unpaid sewer and stormwater fees and charges by turning off the water service to the premises to which water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater management services are furnished shall not be exercised after two years from the date of recording of the lien notice, as provided by law, except to enforce payment of one year’s charges for which no lien notice is required by law to be recorded.

F. The Finance Director and/or the Public Works Director, or their respective designees, shall have the authority to adjust the amount of any service charges and to waive all or any portion of the interest charges and administrative fees established by this section in the case of errors, malfunctions of meters or other system components, excusable neglect, undue hardship, uncollectible debt, or other similar extenuating circumstance. (Ord. 2464 § 2 (part), 2009: Ord. 2236 §§ 4, 5, 7, 2004; Ord. 1682 § 7 (part), 1992).