(a) Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Residential unit shall mean a home or dwelling together under roof constituting a separate independent housekeeping unit containing two hundred (200) square feet or more of floor space for owner occupancy, rental or lease, and physically separated from other dwelling units whether within or without other structures, and containing independent cooking, sleeping and toilet facilities.
Commercial unit shall mean any permanent structure or improvement upon real estate upon and into which the public is invited to do business for goods and/or services, and includes all businesses, trades, professions, avocations or callings of any kind and specifically excludes all residential units.
Provided that those businesses renting spacing for recreational vehicles/travel trailers and which have water and sewer service available for each space shall pay the standard rate for sanitation service on the basis of a residential equivalent unit with four (4) recreational vehicle/travel trailer spaces being equal to one (1) residential unit, regardless of whether such spaces are occupied.
(b) Billing and application of payments. All fees shall be billed and paid upon the monthly water and/or sewer bill pursuant to the billing procedures under Chapter 18, Utilities. Pursuant to the provisions of N.C.G.S. 160A-314(b) all payments received upon bills rendered for water, sewer and sanitation/trash upon a monthly basis shall be applied to the customer's account as follows: First to fees for sanitation/trash; second to fees for sewer; and third to fees for water. All unpaid balances shall be collected as provided in this chapter for collection and/or disconnection. All residential and commercial units, excluding those covered by private solid waste contract agreements in effect prior to October 6, 1992, and those commercial businesses who choose to contract privately for solid waste service, shall be charged a solid waste collection fee on a monthly basis. A separate fee shall apply for each family, household occupancy, or business occupancy of any structure.
(c) Abatements, refunds. No fee required by this section shall be abated or any refund made upon the discontinuance of use of the property by the owner for either commercial or residential purposes.
(d) Penalties. Penalties for failure to pay any fees as required by this section shall be applied as those penalties for the collection of ad valorem taxes and collectible pursuant to N.C.G.S. 160A-314.1.
(e) Enforcement. The town manager or his designee shall provide for the collection of unpaid and past due fees and penalties pursuant to the provisions of N.C.G.S. 160A-207.
(Ord. No. 1992-13, § 1, 6-2-92; Ord. No. 1992-27, § 1, 9-1-92; Ord. No. 1992-34, 10-6-92; Ord. No. 1993-5, § 1, 2-2-93; Ord. No. 1995-11, § 1, 8-1-95)
Editor's note— Ord. No. 1992-13, § 1, adopted June 2, 1992, repealed former § 15-10, relative to user fees and enacted a new § 15-10 to read as herein set out. The provisions of former § 15-10 derived from Ord. No. 1990-12 adopted June 12, 1990 and Ord. No. 1991-9, § 1, adopted August 6, 1991.