(a) The following shall be the water rates charged by the City for water services rendered or to be rendered by its waterworks system to it and to its inhabitants and other users who are or will be directly or indirectly using the service of the waterworks system. Such rates shall be premised upon the actual or estimated metered consumption of water as outlined in Section 1044.01(s), and shall be as follows:
Consumption Rate for Monthly Charge Rate per 1,000 Gallons (over 2,000 gallons)
| |||||
Gallons Usage | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
2,000 to 7,999 | $6.26 | $6.26 | |||
8,000 to 19,999 | 5.41 | 5.41 | |||
20,000 or more | 4.08 | 4.08 | |||
On January 1, 2022, and on that date each year thereafter, the monthly minimum charges and consumption rates shall be increased at a rate determined by the Finance Director and not to exceed the rate of inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual increase as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of the most recent month reported for the previous year. The rates to be charged to volume industrial or commercial users may be established by special schedules or contracts to be determined by Council. The minimum bill charged to residents shall be the current rate charged for 2,000 gallons per month.
(Ord. 27-2022. Passed 9-1-22.)
(b) (1) The charges levied at the rates above established in division (a) hereof shall be included on the January combined utility bills of the identified year, and shall be payable monthly at the Utilities Office of the City and shall be billed to and paid by the users contemporaneously with the sewer bills. Such charges shall be due and payable within 15 days after billing. In case of failure to pay any bill for water charges when due, a penalty of 10% of such charge shall be added to such bill. Such charges are minimum charges, not maximum charges, and the City reserves the right and is obligated to increase the same at any time should the revenue of the system prove insufficient to pay the operating and maintenance expenses and the debt charges of any proposed issue of first mortgage waterworks revenue bonds.
(2) Such revenues from the waterworks system shall not be commingled with other City monies, but shall be placed in the waterworks revenue fund and shall be disbursed only as provided in any subsequent ordinances authorizing waterworks system expenditures and revenue bonds.
(Ord. 8-99. Passed 4-1-99; Ord. 02-2004. Passed 2-5-04; Ord. 14-2004. Passed 5-20-04; Ord. 20-2012. Passed 10-4-12.)
(c) Should the bill rendered to any property or user served by the waterworks system remain unpaid for a period of 30 days, water service to such property or user shall thereupon be suspended and shall only be resumed if the property owner or user is present or waives the necessity to be present at the time of resumption and only after proof of payment of a resumption fee is provided to the City's Service Department representative at the time of resumption. Said resumption fee shall be ninety dollars ($90.00). Any water bill that has been delinquent for more than 90 days shall be certified to the County Auditor and shall become a lien against the property served and shall be collected as are other general taxes.
(Ord. 14-94. Passed 8-4-94.)
(d) The owner of private property that is served by the waterworks system, as well as the lessee or tenant of the premises, shall be liable to the City for all the charges herein levied.
(Ord. 880. Passed 6-22-71.)
(e) The Finance Director shall make and enforce such rules and regulations as he or she deems necessary for the proper determination and collection of the rates and charges herein provided, and the City Manager shall make and enforce such rules and regulations as he or she deems necessary for the enforcement of the provisions of this section and for the efficient and economical management of the waterworks system. Such rules and regulations shall be filed with the Clerk of Council by the Finance Director or City Manager and shall have the effect of ordinances. No person shall violate or fail to comply with any such rule or regulation.
(Ord. 11-86. Passed 4-17-86.)
(f) The provisions of this section are an integral part of the financing of the waterworks improvement of the City and constitute a contract with the holders from time to time of the revenue bonds to be issued therefor.
(Ord. 880. Passed 6-22-71.)
(g) A user who is 50 years of age of older, or partially, permanently or totally disabled, upon verification of age or disability shall be entitled to a reduction of five dollars ($5.00) on the minimum charge for any month that the user uses 2,000 gallons or less after the Finance Director has approved the user's application for such a reduction. Each user applying for such a reduction may be required to renew his or her application annually with the Finance Director.
(Ord. 16-89. Passed 11-16-89; Ord. 23-2003. Passed 6-5-03; Ord. 11-2012. Passed 5-17-12; Ord. 12-2023. Passed 8-17-23.)