(A) General.
(1) User fee. Each water user shall be levied a monthly water user fee for the privilege of utilizing water from the city water system. The water user fee shall be levied on all users of the water to cover the actual or estimated cost of operation, maintenance, replacement and financing of the city’s water system facilities. All water users and property owners who have water service shall be levied a water user fee beginning March 1, 1992, with their first payment being due April 1, 1992, for the first month of service. Billings will be levied regularly after March 1, 1992 at intervals set by the city Council, but no more often than monthly. In the event an owner fails to connect to the system, he or she will be assessed a monthly user base fee.
(2) Rate. The actual monthly water user rate fee to be billed to each property owner or customer shall be determined by the addition of the calculated monthly base rate fee and the calculated monthly water usage fee. A description of the base rate fee and water usage fees to be assessed by this chapter shall be described in the subsequent divisions of this section.
(B) Base rate fees. The water base rate fee for each user (or user class) shall be based on the user’s potential water consumption in comparison to a standard equivalent connection defined below. Each user (or user class) shall be assigned a number of equivalent connections to be multiplied by a constant monthly water base rate factor to determine the base monthly fee. Special equivalent connections below do not apply, shall be individually calculated as provided below. The constant monthly water base rate factor per equivalent connection shall hereafter be set by a separate ordinance defining water user connection and usage fees. The monthly user base fee is, therefore, calculated by multiplying the number of equivalent connections assessed to each property times the constant monthly water base rate factor. The monthly base fee (residential equivalent unit) for the city may be amended by resolution.
(1) Equivalent connection definition. One equivalent connection shall be defined as a single-family dwelling unit or a user who will experience equivalent benefits and monthly water usage. It is estimated that an equivalent user or connection in the city will use approximately 15,000 gallons of water per month. The basic equivalent (a single-family dwelling unit) shall be subject to revision if population, water usage, and/or other information indicates flow rates significantly different from that defined herein. Revisions to the basic equivalent connection criteria shall normally only be made upon the recommendation of a registered professional engineer.
(2) Equivalent connection determination. The number of equivalent connections to be assigned each user and/or user class shall be in accordance with the following equivalent connection schedule. Assignment of equivalent connections shall apply for one year until the next annual user charge review. Users so indicated or not included in this schedule shall be considered special users and shall be evaluated separately as provided below. Any of the users in the following schedule may be classified as special users if information on their water usage indicates a need to do so. The number of equivalent connections for a single user having more than one classification of equivalent use shall be calculated by adding the sum of all user classifications to a total number of equivalent connections. The minimum monthly water user charge shall be based on one equivalent connection.
(3) Special user definition. For any user whose classification is not detailed on the equivalent connection schedule, the city shall determine his or her equivalent connection on the basis of his or her average monthly water usage. The number of equivalent connections shall be determined by dividing the total average monthly flow by a factor of 15,000 gallons per month. This calculated equivalent number of connections may be adjusted by the city after the city has recorded the actual water usage over the first year.
(C) Special user rate. A copy of the list of special users monthly base rate charge shall be kept on file at all times in the office of the Clerk. The rate for each user shall be determined by the actual size of meter installed, or the size meter required for this type of service in the Uniform Plumbing Code, as adopted by the city, whichever is larger.
(D) Water usage fees. In addition to the monthly base rate fee as defined in division (B) above, each water user shall be charged a monthly water usage rate that will be calculated by multiplying the number of gallons of water used each month from the meter reading times a gallonage charge. The gallonage charge shall be that rate per 1,000 gallons of water that was set by ordinance, hereafter, amended by resolution. The water usage fee for usage shall be calculated per thousand gallons of usage. Water meters shall be read monthly. In the event a meter cannot be read each month, because of weather related conditions, or meter failure, or if the city requires residents to run water to prevent freeze-ups of main lines, the meter reading will be estimated and charged according to the average usage of the preceding three months, or in the event of no available history of the preceding months, the billing shall be set according to the special user rate defined in division (C) above.
(E) Review and revision of rates. The water connection and usage fees shall, as a minimum, be reviewed annually and when required, updated by resolution of the city to reflect actual costs of operation, maintenance, replacement and financing of the water system.
(F) User request for rate change. Any water user who feels his or her water charge is unjust and inequitable as applied to his or her premises within the spirit and intent of the foregoing provisions, may make written application to the city requesting a review of his or her user charge. This written request shall, where necessary, show the actual or estimated average flow water in comparison with the values upon which the charge is based, including how the measurements or estimates were made. Any flow measurements shall be approved in detail by the city and/or its Public Works Superintendent. Review of the request by the city shall determine if it is substantiated or not, including recommended further study of the matter for the city and/or user by a registered professional engineer.
(G) Maximum cap limitation. There shall be a maximum cap which was set by ordinance and may be amended by resolution per household unit (hookup) for the period of one monthly billing cycle to allow for repairs of unknown water leaks and unknown water usage per calendar year.
(H) Waiver of payment application. When any person determines his or her home, business or the like is destroyed and/or uninhabitable for an extended time due to circumstances beyond his control such as fire, flood, wind or some other act of God, he or she may apply in writing to the Utility Clerk for a waiver of payment of his or her city monthly water service fee and city monthly sewer fee. The waiver must be approved by the City Council. Approval is at the City Council’s discretion and is not automatic based upon the fact that a building is destroyed and/or uninhabitable. The waiver shall not exceed six months’ time period. This time period may be extended upon further application. Criteria to be considered by the City Council shall include:
(1) The cause of the damage;
(2) The extent of the damage;
(3) The property owner’s intent as to whether or not he or she plans to rebuild;
(4) Estimated time period to rebuild or repair damage; and
(5) City services are not available.
(Prior Code, § 8-1-18) (Ord. 92-549, passed 3-18-1992; Ord. 92-553, passed 9-16-1992; Ord. 97-590, passed 4-2-1997; Ord. 97-598, passed 10-15-1997; Ord. 98-603, passed 8-19-1998; Ord. 02-624, passed 2-20-2002; Ord. 04-662, passed 2-4-2004; Ord. 07-714, passed 8-15-2007; Ord. 08-726, passed 2-6-2008; Ord. 09-733, passed 4-15-2009; Ord. 15-811, passed 11-19-2015)