(a) The sewer user or owner shall sustain and pay for all costs incurred and relating to the initial installation of sewer laterals. Connection costs, including, but not limited to, the extension of the lateral into the sewer easement or public right of way, street opening and restoration, opening the sewer main and the construction of the connection, shall be at the owner's expense.
(b) The sewer user or owner shall maintain and keep in good working order the sewer lateral from the premises to the edge of the public right of way.
(c) Street openings and restoration necessitated by a structural failure or blockages in the sewer lateral located within the public right of way shall be done by and at the expense of the City.
(d) The City shall not reimburse property owners for the expense of clearing blockages in sewer laterals except where:
(1) The property owner has installed, at his or her expense, a City-approved inspection tee at the right-of-way line; and
(2) The City has, prior to the clearing operation, determined the blockage to be in that section of the lateral located within the public right of way and authorized reimbursement for the clearing.
(e) The City may undertake the capital construction and replacement of the City's public sanitary sewer mains. When such construction occurs, the City may offer to replace deficient sewer laterals on private property from the edge of the right-of-way to the premises served.
(f) The property owner may elect in writing to have the City replace the deficient sewer lateral and, if so, the property owner shall be responsible for the cost of said replacement including all costs associated with the restoration of the premises.
(g) With the property owner's express consent, the City will proceed to initiate and complete the work and certify the actual cost of the same to the City Treasurer for collection.
(h) If the actual cost to the City of the sewer lateral replacement including restoration of the premises is not paid within thirty days of notice of the same to the property owner, the City's Treasurer shall cause the cost to be certified to the Lorain County Auditor, who shall place the same on the bi-annual Lorain County tax duplicate for collection in the same manner Lorain County collects property taxes, property assessments and other charges.
(i) The assessment, caused to be placed upon the tax duplicate by the City for the cost of the sewer lateral replacement, shall be paid by the property owner in one lump sum or ten equal annual installments, provided, however, that whenever the unpaid balance of an assessment is one hundred dollars ($100.00) or less, it shall be fully due and payable upon the date of the next annual payment. Assessments paid in installments shall include an interest charge of two percent (2%) per annum. Upon proof satisfactory to the City that payment in ten annual installments will create a serious economic hardship to the property owner, the City Treasurer may authorize a longer repayment period. (Ord. 19-15AC CMS. Passed 3-18-19.)