Loading...
(a) There is hereby established a Sewer Billing Review Board to hear complaints from sanitary sewer users regarding their sanitary sewer charges. It shall consist of the Director of Water Reclamation and Director of Finance and the Mayor or a designee appointed by the Mayor. The Board shall maintain minutes of all proceedings, copies of which will be submitted to the Public Works Committee.
(b) The Board shall meet as needed to review complaints from users about their sanitary sewer charges and the related usage, if the amounts of the questioned charges exceed $2,500 or are the result of an appeal of a finding of the Director of Finance pursuant to division (c) below. It shall have the authority to investigate a user’s complaint and request additional data and/or proof to evaluate such complaint. After completing its review, the Board may authorize the Director of Finance to adjust a user’s sanitary sewer charges based upon what has been determined to be the actual usage.
(c) For complaints or claims for adjustment that involve amounts equal or less than $2,500, the Director of Finance is authorized to, after appropriate review and consultation with the Director of Water Reclamation, make adjustments to sanitary sewer accounts. Users who dispute or otherwise disagree with the findings of the Director of Finance for claims equal or less than $2,500 may appeal their claim to the Sewer Billing Review Board in accordance with division (b) above.
(Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2015-96A, passed 6-1-2015; Ord. 2024-30, passed 2-20-2024)
Over and above the rates and charges established by § 1046.04, industrial users shall be charged not more than the following fees for testing and analysis services performed by, or for, the Solon Water Reclamation Department as part of the National Pretreatment Program and Solon Industrial Surcharge Program. Such fees shall be based on the current costs of the analysis including administrative costs.
Parameter | Charge |
Parameter | Charge |
Ammonia | $16 |
BOD | $36 |
Chloride | $14.50 |
Chlorine | $14 |
COD | $18 |
Cyanide | $23 |
Fecal coliform | $22 |
MBAS | $40 |
Mercury (EPA Method 245.2) | $26 |
Mercury (Low Level, EPA Method 1631) | $62 |
Metals (ICP) (per metal) | $10 |
Metals Scan (ICP) | $75 |
Nitrates | $14.50 |
Nitrites | $12 |
Oil/grease | $30 |
pH | $9 |
Phosphorous | $14 |
SS | $10 |
Surfactant, Cationic | $30 |
Surfactant, Nonionic | $40 |
Total coliform | $22 |
Total Toxic Organics | $360 |
TS | $10 |
VSS | $14 |
(Ord. 1998-22, passed 2-2-1998; Ord. 2005-74, passed 3-21-2005; Ord. 2005-152, passed 6-20-2005; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011)
Over and above the rates and charges established by § 1046.04, there may be established in special instances, and upon special agreement between the city and the owner of any premises served by the system, such additional charges for industrial wastes of unusual strength or composition which are accepted by the city for treatment as may be determined to be fair and equitable. Similarly, rates in lieu of or supplemental to those established by § 1046.04 may also be established by special agreement in any case not clearly defined in § 1046.04 or where satisfactory provision shall have been made for direct measurement of the quantity of sewerage discharged to the system. Each such special agreement and the charges established thereby shall not become effective until ratified by ordinance duly passed by Council.
(Ord. 1980-138, passed 4-6-1981)
The city shall apply a fee of $4 to each quarterly user charge for the purpose of offsetting the cost of processing of sewer charges as set forth in § 1046.04.
(Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2024-30, passed 2-20-2024)
A Summer Use Adjustment Program is provided for owner occupied one-, two-, three- and four- family residential accounts in good standing. The adjustment shall be applied to the third and fourth quarter (summer months) consumption meter readings based on the historical typical consumption established in the first and second quarter readings (winter months). If for any reason actual readings are not available to establish typical use, the program will utilize the last two actual winter quarter readings. In the case that summer use is less than historical typical use, no adjustment would be necessary. If an actual summer reading is not available, the program will default to the last actual summer reading.
(Ord. 2003-126, passed 5-19-2003; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011)
(a) The sewer charges levied, at the rates established by § 1046.04, shall take effect on September 1, 1962, and shall thereafter be billed on the first day of each calendar quarter, or as soon in the calendar quarter as water meter readings become available, and be due within 30 days after billing date. Connection charges shall be payable in advance of connection as provided in § 1046.04. In case of failure to pay any bill for sewer charges when due, a penalty of 5% of the unpaid account balance shall be added to the bill. If the bill is not paid by the due date of the next and any subsequent quarter’s bill, another 5% penalty shall be added for each past due bill.
(b) The Director of Finance may abate all or part of any penalties applied to a sewer billing account(s) if the user(s) can show just cause for non-payment. Additionally, if a resident can provide evidence that immediate payment of a past due balance will cause a hardship, the city may provide a payment plan not to exceed three years. To request an abatement of any and all penalties, the resident must submit to the Director of Finance the proper standardized form, together with evidence of hardship.
(c) The Director of Finance can waive or delay the application of the delinquency surcharge for all user accounts for a specific quarterly billing period if an approval is granted by the Sewer Billing Review Board to make such a blanket waiver. The Board will provide the Public Works Committee with a copy of the approval of the blanket waiver.
(Ord. 1980-138, passed 4-6-1981; Ord. 2001-94, passed 4-2-2001; Ord. 2002-224, passed 10-7-2002; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2024-30, passed 2-20-2024)
The Director of Water Reclamation and the Director of Finance shall annually review the system of user charges to determine if they are in accordance with divisions (a), (b) and (c) of this section and to report to the Public Works Committee. The Public Works Committee will determine whether revisions to the sewer use charge schedule are warranted and, if so determined, will make a recommendation to the Council for incorporation into the city ordinances.
(a) The system shall result in the distribution of the costs of operation and maintenance of the treatment works within the Department’s jurisdiction to each user class in proportion to such user’s contribution to the total wastewater loading of the treatment works. Factors such as strength, volume and delivery flow rate characteristics shall be considered and included as the basis for the user’s contribution to ensure a proportional distribution of operation and maintenance, including replacement costs, to each user’s class.
(b) The system of charges shall be reviewed annually and revised periodically to reflect actual treatment works operation and maintenance costs.
(c) The system of charges shall generate sufficient revenue to offset the costs of all treatment works operation and maintenance provided by the Department and such other expenditures that may be authorized.
(Ord. 1980-138, passed 4-6-1981; Ord. 2001-94, passed 4-2-2001; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011)
Each sewer charge if not paid 60 days after its due date, may be certified to the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer, who shall place the same on the property tax duplicate, with the interest and penalties allowed by law, to be collected as other municipal property taxes and special assessments are collected. The city shall also have the right, in the event of non-payment, to proceed to collect such delinquent charges in a civil action.
(Ord. 1980-138, passed 4-6-1981; Ord. 2001-94, passed 4-2-2001; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2024-30, passed 2-20-2024)
Loading...