Chapter 2.32
PUBLIC UTILITIES1
Sections:
2.32.040 Funds – Accounting system.
2.32.010 Created – Divisions.
There is hereby created a public utilities department of the city. The utilities department shall consist of the following divisions:
(a) Electric division;
(b) Telecommunications division;
(c) Water division. (Ord. 1532 § 1, 2005; Ord. 671 § 1, 1965)
2.32.020 Manager.
There shall be a manager of the public utilities department who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the city council. (Ord. 671 § 2, 1965)
2.32.030 Powers and duties.
The manager of public utilities shall:
(a) Manage and operate all the municipally owned utilities and shall be responsible therefor to the city council;
(b) Supervise and control the operation of the electric, telecommunications, and water divisions;
(c) Appoint and, when deemed necessary for the good of the service, lay off, suspend, demote or remove all heads of divisions and employees of the public utilities department; subject, however, to the personnel rules, regulations, job classifications and pay plan adopted by the city council for all employees of the city;
(d) Prepare a budget annually and submit it to the city council;
(e) Be responsible for the administration of the utilities budget after adoption and recommend to the council any changes in the budget which he deems desirable;
(f) Submit to the council a report as of the end of the year on the operations and activities of the public utilities department for the preceding year;
(g) Keep the council informed of the financial condition and future needs of the city with regard to utilities services and make recommendations on policy and other matters;
(h) Be a nonvoting member of the utilities advisory board and shall attend its meetings whenever possible. (Ord. 1611 § 2, 2008; Ord. 1532 § 1, 2005; Ord. 1474 § 1, 2003; Ord. 905 §§ 1, 2, 1978)
2.32.040 Funds – Accounting system.
All public utilities owned and operated by the city shall be operated from a fund or funds separate from the general fund. An accounting system for each such fund shall be established within the department of finance and shall be set up and maintained so as to reflect the financial condition of the public utility or utilities and its or their income and expense. A balance sheet and statement of income and expense (profit and loss) shall be made for each such fund annually and as often as the city council may require. (Ord. 671 § 4, 1965)
2.32.050 Use of moneys.
None of the income, money or property of the public utilities system shall be placed in the general fund or be used for the benefit of anything outside of the fund to which it belongs without due compensation or due value received in return; provided, that this shall not prohibit payment into the general fund by the utilities of an amount in lieu of taxes reasonably estimated to be the amount which the utilities would pay in taxes if they were privately owned. (Ord. 671 § 5, 1965)
2.32.060 Effect – Policies.
All general policies of the city relating to general government operations shall apply to public utilities operations insofar as the same are applicable to utility operations.
It is the policy and the desire of the city council to bring about economy of operation together with increased efficiency in the management and operation of the public utilities, and to this end this chapter is to be liberally construed so as to encourage professional competence in the operation of the public utilities and, at the same time, through cooperation of the utilities manager and the city manager to bring about better service at the lowest cost to the users of the utilities. (Ord. 1766 § 1, 2014; Ord. 671 § 6, 1965)
For provisions relating to public utilities in general, see KMC Title 11.