This section shall impose a monthly fee for the use and the services rendered by the sewage works. Rates and charges shall be collected from the owners of each and every lot, parcel of real estate or building that is connected with the city sewage system or otherwise discharges sanitary sewage, industrial wastes, water or other liquids, either directly or indirectly, into the sewage system of the city. Such rates and charges include user charges, debt service costs, excessive strength surcharges and other service charges, which rates and charges shall be payable as hereinafter provided and shall be in an amount determinable as follows:
(A) (1) There is hereby established a flat, monthly fee of $46.13 for each single-family residence and residential duplexes with separate meters ("residential parcels"), beginning September 1, 2020 until September 1,2024:
(2) Any owner-occupant who is eligible for, and has filed the following, is eligible for a $10 per month credit from the above amounts. Beginning September 1, 2020 until September 2024, the credit shall adjust to $12 per month for eligible owner-occupants. A residential parcel may receive only one credit under this subsection, even though the owner-occupant may be eligible under more than one statute:
(a) A claim for an over age 65 deduction for property taxes pursuant to IC 6-1.1-12-9;
(b) A claim for a blind and disabled deduction for property taxes under IC 6-1.1-12-11; or
(c) A claim for a disabled veteran or surviving spouse deduction for property taxes pursuant to IC 6-1.1-12-13;
(d) Any claims for the above credit shall continue to be in effect as long as the rate payer meets the criteria above.
(e) Future claims must be filed with the Hamilton County Auditor. The property owner shall not be eligible for the credit until the first billing cycle after the claim is filed. Any owner-occupant who has filed a claim, but does not receive the credit on the wastewater bill, must file a file-marked copy of the owner's affidavit requesting one of the above deductions.
(3) Any owner-occupant of a residential parcel who meets the criteria established in this subsection is eligible for special circumstances economic hardship credit ("hardship credit") from the residential parcel monthly fee. Owners-occupants of residential parcels may apply for this credit beginning on September 1, 2020, and the credit shall be applied to the first billing cycle after the credit is approved by the City. This subsection shall expire on December 31, 2021.
(a) The hardship credit may be initially granted during a public health emergency or during a year in which a public health emergency has been declared.
(b) To be granted a hardship credit, an owner-occupant of a residential parcel must provide documentation to the Wastewater Department that shows proof that the owner-occupant has filed for any of the following and must affirm under penalties of perjury that the filing related to economic conditions caused in part by the public health emergency:
1. Unemployment with the state Department of Workforce Development;
2. Hardship accommodation with the Indiana Department of Revenue;
3. Financial assistance with the township trustee; or
4. Energy assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
(c) Owners-occupants of residential parcels satisfying the requirements of this subsection will receive a fifteen dollar ($15) per month hardship credit, for a period of up to six (6) months, beginning the next billing cycle after documentation is provided under subsection 3(b). All hardship credits under this subsection shall terminate on December 31, 2021. The hardship credit shall not be applied retroactively.
(d) If the owner-occupant receiving the hardship credit moves to another residential parcel, the owner-occupant shall supply the documentation required under 3(b) and may continue to receive the hardship credit on their new residential parcel account.
(e) Credits provided under this subsection may be granted up to a maximum amount of $250,000.
(B) The schedule of rates for all other users of the city's sewage works shall be determined as follows:
The sewage rates and charges shall be based on the quantity of water used on or in the property or premises subject to such rates and charges, as the same is measured by the water meter there in use, plus a base charge based on the size of the water meter installed. For the purpose of billing and collecting the charges for the sewage service, the water meters shall be read monthly or based on the average monthly usage for the preceding seven months ending in May based on actual readings. These readings shall be averaged and the users shall be billed monthly (or a period equaling a month). All new customers of the wastewater utility shall have service commenced at the monthly rate based on meter size plus the family residential rate. Upon receiving at least three readings, the new customer's rate shall be adjusted accordingly.
(C) (1) The rates for the sewage works not included in subsection(A) above are as follows:
Meter Size | September 1, 2020 |
Meter Size | September 1, 2020 |
5/8-3/4 inch | $16.32 |
1 inch | $36.38 |
1-1/4 inch | $56.51 |
1-1/2 inch | $80.68 |
2 inch | $136.77 |
3 inch | $310.88 |
4 inch | $538.55 |
6 inch | $1,221.38 |
PLUS a monthly flow charge (per 1,000 gallons) | $5.05 |
(2) Unmetered non-residential parcels shall be charged a rate to be determined by the city on an individual basis by applying the above metered rates to estimated usage and meter size.
(3) Water utility customers.
(a) The schedule of rates for the discharge received from the city’s water utility customers is based on the quantity of water discharged to the sewer, plus a base charge for each customer operating one or more water treatment plants. Each customer as defined above will be billed a base charge of $2,002.20 each month and a usage fee at the rate of $3.37 per 1,000 gallons.
(b) For the purpose of billing and collecting the charges for the sewage service, the sewer meters shall be read monthly. The city may average monthly usage for the preceding 12 months based on actual readings. These readings shall be averaged and the users shall be billed monthly (or a period equaling a month).
(c) The schedule of rates shall be adjusted biannually on the first day of January of each year based on changes in the city’s operational costs.
(d) The city shall provide written notice of any changes to the schedule of rates to the water utility customers at least 60 days prior to the effective date of the change.
(D) There is established a surcharge rate for certain excessive strength surcharges based on effluent strength as follows:
Monthly Per Pound
| |
Excessive Strength Surcharges | Beginning September 1, 2020 |
(Based on Effluent Strength) | |
B.O.D. in excess of 250 mg/1 | $0.17/lb |
S.S. in excess of 250 mg/1 | $0.10/lb |
Phosphorus between 4.0 - 6.99 mg/1 | $1.76/lb |
Phosphorus in excess of 7 mg/1 | $10.11/lb |
(E) Upon receiving notice that the water meter has become active from any of the water companies currently serving customers in the city, billing shall commence immediately. In the event a new customer uses the sewer system prior to notification to the utility, the utility may bill the new user retroactively, based upon either: the date a certificate of occupancy is issued for a new building or residence; or, for existing buildings, the date of transfer of the real estate, based on the deed recorded in the Office of the Hamilton County Recorder.
(F) For the service rendered to the city, the city shall be subject to the same rates and charges hereinabove provided, or to charges and rates established in harmony therewith.
(G) In order to recover the cost of monitoring industrial wastes, the city shall charge the user the actual costs of monitoring, but no less than $65 per sampling event. This charge reimburses the City for the cost of administration of the sampling..
(H) No adjustment to the monthly rate charged to non-residential parcels shall be applied retroactively for more than three monthly billing cycles. Any appeal for an adjustment to the monthly rate more than three months prior to the request for an adjustment is deemed waived.
(Ord. 1589, passed - - -; Am. Ord. 64A-8-89, passed 8-28-89; Am. Ord. 43-12-91, passed 12-30-91; Am. Ord. 4-17-92, passed 5-26-92; Am. Ord. 8-2-01, passed 2-27-01; Am. Ord. 37-8-07, passed 9-11-07; Am. Ord. 47-9-08, passed 9-23-08; Am. Ord. 04-02-13, passed 2-26-13; Am. Ord. 17-07-20, passed 7-28-20; Am. Ord. 15-03-21, passed 3-9-21; Am. Ord. 43-10-23, passed 11-14-23)