Chapter 13.70
RATES, CHARGES AND ASSESSMENTS
Sections:
13.70.010 Accounts – Billing and delinquency.
13.70.020 General facility charge – Sewer.
13.70.030 METRO charges.
13.70.040 Sewer rates – Generally.
13.70.050 Permit fees and deposits.
13.70.060 Construction assessments.
13.70.070 Determination of construction assessment.
13.70.080 Recording fees.
13.70.090 Recovery contracts.
13.70.010 Accounts – Billing and delinquency.
A. It shall be the duty of the Finance Director to keep accounts with all users of sanitary sewer service, to enter on such accounts all charges and penalties, and provide regular billing to all users. All bills shall be sent to the owners of record, except when the tenant appears at the City Hall and signs a notarized statement accepting responsibility for payment.
B. An account shall be deemed delinquent if not paid within 30 days of the due date. Delinquent accounts shall be subject to a 10 percent service charge. There shall be a further 10 percent service charge for each additional 2 months of delinquency.
C. All charges for sewer service, when the same becomes delinquent and unpaid, shall be a lien against the premises to which the service has been furnished. (Ord. 2527 § 5, 2008; Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).
13.70.020 General facility charge – Sewer.
A. Beginning August 19, 1996, and thereafter in addition to other fees required by ordinance or pursuant to agreement, there is imposed upon the owners of property seeking to connect to the City’s sewer system a general facility charge. This general facility charge is determined by $2,039 times the number of METRO residential customer equivalents (RCE) ($2,039 x RCE). One RCE is equal to 750 cubic feet of usage per month (METRO’s assumed average winter usage for a single-family residence).
1. The general facility charge shall be paid and collected at the time of permit issuance for development and prior to actual development.
2. Applicants for development shall be required to pay the general facility charge in effect at the time the permit is issued.
B. The general facility charge shall be paid and collected at the time of permit issuance for a sewer connection and prior to actual connection.
C. Applicants for sewer connection with applications pending before August 19, 1996, and who have otherwise complied with all relevant ordinances of the City shall not be required to pay the general facility sewer connection charge imposed in this section but shall be required to pay the sewer connection charge in effect on the date of their application. (Ord. 2469 § 1, 2006; Ord. 2334 § 1, 2002; Ord. 2331 § 1, 2001; Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).
13.70.030 METRO charges.
A. In addition to those rates and charges for sewage service otherwise set forth in this chapter, the following METRO charges to ensure compliance with Section 204 of the Public Law 92-500 (33 U.S.C. Section 1251 et seq.) CFR Part 5 Subpart E are imposed:
1. A “surcharge” in an amount to be determined as provided in METRO Resolution Nos. 2315 and 2557, as now constituted or hereafter amended, which resolutions and any subsequent amendments thereto are incorporated by reference, the charge to be added to the customer’s regular bill;
B. One copy of METRO Resolution Nos. 2315 and 2557 shall be authenticated and recorded by the City Clerk as required by RCW 35A.12.140. (Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).
13.70.040 Sewer rates – Generally.
A. Billing Period. The normal billing period shall be 2 months, which for accounting purposes shall be on the first day of the month during which the meters are read. Charges for periods of less than 2 months shall be prorated both as to fixed, usage, and/or minimum charge and as to water consumption.
B. Billing Increments. Where charges are based on water consumption, these charges shall be computed on the nearest 100 cubic feet of water consumption.
C. Sanitary Sewer Rates. Sanitary sewer rates for all accounts shall be per account (meter) and shall be in accordance with the schedule of charges contained in this section entitled “Sewer Rates.” For customers classified as single-family residential, monthly charges are determined by adding the fixed monthly (City) charge, the fixed monthly (METRO) charge, and the product of the use per ccf charge and the customer’s average water use. The customer’s average water use is defined as the average monthly use over 3 winter bimonthly billing periods in the previous billing year: November – December, January – February, and March – April for 1 billing cycle, and October – November, December – January and February – March for the other billing cycle. For new accounts with no previous winter billing history, the average winter water use shall be based on the City-wide average for that meter size until the actual winter billing history is available.
|
Customer Classification |
Fixed Monthly (City) |
Fixed Monthly (METRO) |
Usage per ccf (City + METRO) |
Monthly Minimum Charge |
|
Single-Family Residential* |
$ 1.73 |
$ 36.10 |
$ 2.17 |
$ 46.51 |
|
MFR/Duplexes** |
$ 1.73 |
$ 6.99 |
$ 44.35 |
|
|
Commercial/Trailers/PA** |
$ 1.73 |
$ 6.99 |
$ 44.35 |
|
* Usage charge is for City costs. Individual charges are based on each customer’s winter average monthly usage from the winter previous. The monthly minimum charge includes 4 ccf usage. ** Usage charge is for METRO and City costs. Individual charges are based on each customer’s monthly usage. The monthly minimum charge includes 6.1 ccf usage. ccf – hundred cubic feet |
D. If users have a separately metered water connection for irrigation only, that water consumption shall be exempt from the rates established in this section. If users have a water connection which meters both domestic/commercial water use and irrigation and is metered by a single water meter, all water consumption shall be subject to the sewer rates by this chapter. (Ord. 2590 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2532 § 1, 2008; Ord. 2469 § 2, 2006; Ord. 2426 § 1, 2005; Ord. 2406 §§ 1, 2, 3, 2004; Ord. 2379 §§ 1, 2, 3, 2003; Ord. 2331 §§ 2, 3, 2001; Ord. 2293 §§ 1, 2, 2000; Ord. 2247 § 1, 1999; Ord. 2209 §§ 1, 2, 1998; Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).
13.70.050 Permit fees and deposits.
A. The application for a side sewer permit shall be accompanied with a cash deposit, made to the City for deposit with the City Treasurer, as follows: a sum equal to $500.00, or 2 percent of the total contract price, whichever is greater. No deposit shall be less than $500.00.
B. Any contractor intending to perform frequent work in the City may make and maintain with the City Treasurer a general deposit in the sum of $1,500, and the contractor so depositing shall not be required to make the special deposits provided in this section, but shall, however, be required to comply with all other applicable provisions of the IMC. Any special or general deposit made under these provisions shall serve as security for the repair of underground utilities or other maintenance or services required of the City as a consequence of the permit holder’s activity. Upon the permittee’s completion of the work covered by such permit in conformity with the IMC as determined by the City Engineer, such cash deposit, except in the case of an annual deposit, shall be promptly refunded by the City to the permittee.
C. Permit fees are as defined in IMC 3.65.040.
D. An administrative fee of $75.00 shall accompany each request for a waiver applied for under the provisions of IMC 13.80.040. (Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).
13.70.060 Construction assessments.
A. In addition to the permit fees, deposits, general facility charges, and utility rates, the applicant for a side sewer permit for property fronting on a sewer line for which the property has neither been assessed nor otherwise paid its pro rata share of the cost of the sewer line shall be required to pay the pro rata share to the City as a condition to the right to connect to the line. The construction assessment may be collected either for the benefit of the City Sewer System or for private persons who have paid the cost of constructing the sewer line and have entered into a recovery contract with the City.
B. When connecting to a main constructed before October 1, 1978, the applicant shall pay an assessment of $3.00 per lineal foot of main along that side of the property that the connection is made.
C. When connecting to a main constructed after October 1, 1978, the applicant shall pay an amount based on the methodology outlined in IMC 13.70.070.
D. When connecting to an existing sewer main which does not completely or at all front the property, the owner/applicant shall pay an amount based on the methodology outlined in IMC 13.70.070.
E. When the property is subject to a recovery contract, the applicant shall pay the assessment identified in such contract. There shall be included in an engineer’s estimate on any such sewer improvement, separately itemized, and in such assessments, a sum equal to the amount provided in or computed from such contract as the fair pro rata share due from such owners upon and for such contracted sewer facilities. Recovery contracts shall determine the fair pro rata cost share due using the methodology outlined in IMC 13.70.070.
F. Construction assessments shall not apply to those parcels which:
1. Previously connected without paying the assessment;
2. Are served by a sewer main constructed for the purpose of serving the parcel and subsequently donated (i.e., as part of a plat) to the City; or
3. Construction assessments have previously been paid.
G. The City shall not waive any collections required by a recovery contract and shall exercise reasonable vigilance to assure that payment of fair shares is not evaded. The City may, however, authorize the connection of additional lines to the sewer lines subject to a recovery contract without payment of pro rata shares; provided the additional sewer lines are to be constructed in a public right-of-way existing at the date of acceptance of the recovery contract, or provided the additional mains connect to the terminus of the recovery contract sewer line. In the event such additional mains are intended to provide sewer service to any tract fronting the sewer line already subject to contract, the owner of the additional mains shall be required to pay the pro rata share for such tract. If, as a result of the existence of 2 or more sewer lines under separate recovery contract, any property may be reasonably served from more than 1 sewer line, the owner of the property may choose to be connected to a particular sewer line and the pro rata share will be collected under that contract only. (Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).
13.70.070 Determination of construction assessment.
A. Commercial Property. The pro rata cost share shall be assessed to parcels based on the total cost including engineering, construction, and legal fees associated with the sewer main and the percent of the total capacity in the subject sewer main utilized by development on the assessed parcel or any other equitable method of apportionment.
B. Residential Property. The pro rata cost share shall be assessed to parcels based on the total cost including engineering, construction, and legal fees associated with the sewer main and the number of equivalent residential units the main will provide service for based on the zoning at the time of construction or any other equitable method of apportionment. The assessment shall be a dollar amount per equivalent residential unit.
C. Inadequate Frontage. The pro rata cost share will be estimated as appropriate for either commercial or residential property using estimated costs to extend the sewer main. Additionally, the property owner will be required to sign a no protest agreement for the formation of a utility limited improvement district (ULID). (Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).
13.70.080 Recording fees.
All recording fees shall be paid for by the owner or owners of the properties affected. (Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).
13.70.090 Recovery contracts.
A. All amounts received by the City in accordance with recovery contracts shall be paid to the original developer of the sewer line, his personal representative, or assigns within 60 days after receipt of said money.
B. There shall be a minimum charge of $5.00 for making each collection, which charge shall be paid by the applicant and shall belong to the City Sewer System. (Ord. 2186 § 2, 1998).