(A) Availability fees. Availability fees are 1-time fees that are collected and used to offset capital expenditures (water filtration plant, pumps, motors, filters, tanks, hydrants, reservoir, all waste water filtration equipment, etc.). They do not include variable connection costs for materials or labor or specialty contracting services. Listed below are the fees. The sewer availability fee is equal to the total water availability fee.
(1) Residential connections. Residential availability fees are as follows:
Type of New Physical Service Connection/Water Only | Availability Fee |
Single-family dwelling (per dwelling) | $600.00 |
Type of New Physical Service Connection/Water Only | Availability Fee |
Duplex dwelling, 2-family building, separate water meter | $300.00/unit |
Multi-family dwellings (more than 2 units/separate meter): Condominiums, townhouses, apartments and the like, per unit | $250.00/unit |
Mobile homes (only where existing mobile home exists): Single home, single lot | $600.00 |
Mobile home park (per space) (existing mobile homes only) | $250.00 |
(2) Commercial and industrial rates.
Business, commercial, industrial, institutional/water only | $600.00 |
(B) New account administrative fee. There will be an administrative fee for establishing a new utility account (see Treasurer for current fee schedule). This fee shall be paid by a new customer requiring water or sewer service. This cost is charged to offset expenses to the town for inspecting the meter box, obtaining the initial meter reading, establishing a new billing account in the utility billing system and actually turning water service on. An administrative fee shall be assessed for transferring an account from one property to another property, or for switching an inactive account back to active, or for a prior account holder in good standing who needs to re-establish service in town (“good standing” means no delinquent water or sewer debts from prior service) (see Treasurer for current fee schedule).
(1) To open a new account, the town requires current, valid, identification, and proof that the person wishing to open the new account is the person who will be living at the structure being served by the utility services (lease, deed, electric bill, internet, phone, cable bill etc.). In special and unique situations where the person living at the location being served by the utilities is not capable due to physical, financial, or mental limitations, a new account may be opened if an authorized person places the service in their own name and agrees to be designated as the responsible person managing the utility services account and is personally liable for all water account charges, fees, penalties, costs of collections.
(2) No new account will be opened at any location in town, by any other person, when that same location already has an existing account. This is to prevent intent to defraud the town and is especially necessary when the existing account holder has a past due balance that has not been paid.
(3) Additionally, no new account will be opened in the name of another person who is also a resident at the same location where an active water and/or sewer account already exists.
(C) Reconnection fee. The reconnection fee of not less than $50.00 shall be paid by existing customer requiring water service reconnection, after service has been discontinued for nonpayment of the account.
(D) Inactive account fee.
(1) An inactive account fee shall be paid by the account owner to offset the cost of providing capacity which is not being utilized, meter maintenance, and maintenance of underground mainlines servicing the property. This charge is applicable for all utility services, water or sewer (see Treasurer for current fee schedule).
(2) An inactive account is an account which has remained unused for more than 4 months, no usage or consumption recorded at the meter. The town can place such accounts on the inactive list. The account holder will not be billed at the current minimum monthly water use charge, but will instead be charged the lesser inactive fee amount per month (see Treasurer). An account holder though may request to place their account on inactive status at any time for example an extended period of time when the account holder will not be occupying the structure.
(1997 Code, § 70-32) (Ord. passed 8-17-1993; Am. Ord. passed 10-1-2018)