(A) The monthly sewage charges, as specified in § 8-7-2 of this chapter, shall be 200% of the base and usage rates listed above.
(1) If: a) a property owner’s property is located outside of the city’s corporate limits, and b) the owner’s property line does not abut the city’s corporate line, and c) the property owner agrees to petition for voluntary annexation to the city at any time in the future when the city’s corporate line abuts the property owner’s property line; then, in exchange for the property owner’s written signed agreement to annex to the city in the future, the city may allow the property owner to connect to the city’s sewage system.
(2) If: a) a property owner’s property is located outside of the city’s corporate limits, and b) the owner’s property line abuts the corporate limits of the city, and, if the property owner wishes to receive city sewer service; then, in exchange for the property owner’s immediate voluntary annexation to the city; and, upon completion of annexation process, city may permit the customer to connect to city’s sewer system.
(B) Where, in the opinion of the City Council a contributor assumes a substantial portion of the sewage works capacity, a contract may be required between the city and the major user. Such a contract will indicate portions of this Sewerage Rate System Ordinance which are applicable, establish a maximum contribution for each waste characteristic (i.e., volume, BOD, suspended solids and the like), provide for penalties when the maximum is exceeded, and indicate the means of measuring and sampling the wastewater.
(C) (1) Sampling and analytical laboratory charges may be assessed to all users that the city is required to sample as part of a state and/or federal permit or program or that the city monitors for billing purposes.
(2) Contracted private laboratory fees will be charged on a direct cost basis to those users whose waste requires that the city use a private laboratory for the analytical work.
(D) Where a contributor may arrange his or her waste piping system to provide for discharge of sanitary wastes to the sanitary sewer and clear uncontaminated water discharged separately to a storm sewer drainageway, the contributor will be billed for the volume of sanitary sewage only, provided he or she installs water or sewage meters in the separate systems for determining waste volumes at his or her own expense. Water meters used may be those furnished on a rental basis by the waterworks. Privately-owned water or sewage meters shall be subject to the approval of the waterworks and shall be subject to inspection and checking by the waterworks to determine accuracy.
(E) The sewerage charges may be billed the tenant or tenants occupying the properties served, unless otherwise requested in writing by the owners, but such billing shall in no way relieve the owner from liability in the event payment is not made as herein required.
(F) (1) The City Council hereby delegates the billing of sewerage charges, except those established under special contract, and the authority to accept payment of same to the waterworks in accordance with the foregoing schedule of charges. Said schedule of charges shall be certified to the waterworks by such official of the city as shall be designated by the City Council.
(2) As part of the duties delegated to the waterworks, an accurate and complete record of such collections will be maintained and at least once each month all funds so collected shall be deposited in a bank or banks specified by the City Treasurer. This fund shall only be used for the purpose of retiring debt, operating and maintaining the sewage works. At the end of each month the City Treasurer shall report to the City Council a statement of collections and deposits for said month.
(3) The City Council authorizes that the waterworks shall charge to the city for its services such amount as may from time to time be mutually agreed upon, same to be paid by the city on a monthly basis.
(G) (1) For non-monitored contributors, the sewerage charges as provided in § 8-7-2 of this chapter, shall be applied to the quantity of water as determined by monthly water meter readings of the waterworks, unless the sanitary sewage is measured as provided for in division (D) above. In the case of a monitored contributor, the quantity of wastewater volume and strength of pollutant load shall be determined from wastewater flow metering station equipped with a sampling device to collect and preserve composite wastewater samples.
(2) When a parcel of real estate, property, building or premises discharging sanitary sewage, industrial waste, water or other approved waste, either directly or indirectly into the city sanitary sewer system and the water used thereon or therein is not measured by a water meter, uses water supplied by the city’s water system, and in addition uses water from another source which is not measured by a water meter, or is not a user of water supplied by the city water system, the city shall require such water use to be metered in order to establish the proper sewerage charge, except single-family residential contributors with estimated water use of 5,000 gallons, or less, per month. For such residential contributors, the amount of water used shall be determined by mutual agreement between the user and the city, or failing to agree, by the city in such manner as the superintendent may elect in order to establish the rate of charge as provided in this chapter, or the owner or owners or other interested party may have a water meter installed by the waterworks on a rental basis so that the water used on the premises is metered. If a privately owned meter is used the meter shall be subject to the approval of the waterworks and shall be subject to inspection and checking by the waterworks to determine accuracy. If it is necessary to rearrange the plumbing in order to install a meter, the rearranging shall be at the expense of the owner or other interested parties and the installation shall be made in a manner meeting the approval of the waterworks and the Wastewater Superintendent.
(H) The Wastewater Superintendent and other authorized representatives of the waterworks or sewage works shall be entitled to access to the premises of any contributor for the purpose of reading meters, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing at any reasonable time to such extent as may be necessary to carry out the spirit and intent of this chapter. If such access is denied, the contributor will be assigned and billed as a Class 10 customer in accordance with § 8-7-2(D) of this chapter.
(I) Billings.
(1) Due date. All billings under the sewage charges herein established shall be due and payable at the utility billing office according to the billing schedule established by the Water Department.
(2) Final bills.
(a) If an account is not paid by the date due, it shall be considered delinquent. The city shall have all rights to proceed with collection of the unpaid charges in any way provided by law for the collection of a municipal claim.
(b) The City Clerk may proceed with collection measures of delinquent bills, including certification of the bill to the County Treasurer. Notice shall be sent to the appropriate persons by ordinary mail not less than 30 days prior to certification of the lien to the County Treasurer. If the customer is a tenant and if the owner or landlord of the property has made a written request for notice, the notice shall also be given to the owner or landlord. All associated cost will be attached to the bill for this service.
(c) All delinquent bills certified to the County Treasurer or that the city institutes collection measures upon will include a service charge of 15% of the total bill, but not less than $1. All associated costs will be attached to the bill for this service.
(3) Delinquent bills, owner exempt from property tax. If the owner of a property, where a delinquent bill has been incurred, is exempt from paying taxes (i.e., state government, religious organizations or any other organization or entity that is not required to pay property tax), then collection of the delinquent bill may proceed as follows:
(a) Bills not paid within the time allotted by the billing schedule shall be delinquent.
(b) If a bill is delinquent, the city may collect the delinquent amount by pursuing any available legal remedy including, but not limited to:
1. Terminating the discharge (including severance of the sewer connection to the property);
2. Collection through a collection agency; and
3. Collection through the court system.
(Ord. C-083, passed 5-21-1991; Ord. C-119, passed 5-19-1992; Ord. C-382, passed 6-17-2003; Ord. D-089, passed 6-6-2022)