(a) Notwithstanding any other section of this chapter, any user that is found to have violated any provision of this chapter, its wastewater discharge permit, and orders issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, shall be fined in an amount not to exceed the cost of correcting said violation or one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), whichever is greater. Such fines shall be assessed on a per violation, per day basis. In the case of monthly or other long term average discharge limits, fines shall be assessed for each day during the period of violation.
(b) Assessments may be added to the user's next scheduled sewer service charge, and the City shall have such other collection remedies as may be available for other service charges and fees.
(c) Unpaid charges, fines and penalties shall, after 30 calendar days, be assessed an additional penalty of the unpaid balance, and interest shall accrue thereafter at a rate of 1.5% per month. A lien against the individual user's property will be sought for unpaid charges, fines and penalties.
(d) Users desiring to dispute such fines must file a written request for the City to reconsider the fine along with full payment of the fine amount within ten days of being notified of the fine. Where a request has merit, the City shall convene a hearing on the matter within 30 days of receiving the request from the industrial user. In the event the user's appeal is successful, the payment together with any interest accruing thereto, shall be returned to the industrial user. The City may add the costs of preparing administrative enforcement actions such as notices and orders to the fine.
(e) Issuance of an administrative fine shall not be a prerequisite for taking any other action against the user.
(Ord. 499. Passed 4-9-13.)