(a) Pursuant to U.S. EPA regulations, the user charges shall be reviewed annually to accomplish the following purposes:
(1) To maintain the proportionate distribution of operation, maintenance and replacement costs among users and user classes; and
(2) To generate sufficient revenue to pay the total operation, maintenance, replacement, capital and working capital costs of the sewerage system.
(b) The annual review of the user charges shall be conducted by the Authority or by a consulting engineer.
(1) A written report shall be prepared and submitted to Council on or before July 1 of each year.
(2) The report shall summarize actual operations for the calendar year just ended and, based upon at least a two-year projection (the current year and the next year), shall recommend a rate increase or decrease effective January 1 of the next year.
(3) At the time recommended in the report, the Authority shall, by appropriate legislation, set the schedule of rates and charges for the users of the system.
(c) In addition to the authority of the City Council to increase or decrease rates on January 1 of each year, the Authority may, at any time, increase or decrease rates if the Authority determines that a modification of the rates is required in order to comply with this chapter or any revenue bond resolution, or to adjust rates to reflect final costs.
(d) Following the annual review, the Authority shall promptly notify each user, in conjunction with a regular bill, of the rate adjustments, if any, and of that portion of the sewer service charge over the past year which is attributable to operation, maintenance and replacement costs of the system and that portion which is related to debt service.
(Ord. 95-16. Passed 9-18-95; Ord. 05-29. Passed 6-20-05; Ord. 05-55. Passed 11-7-05; Ord. 2022-18. Passed 5-16-22.)