A. Authorized: The city council may approve use of water from the system for agricultural purposes as described in this section.
B. Application: Any person wishing to use water from the system for agricultural purposes shall file an application with the city recorder. The application must contain:
1. The name and address of the person making the application;
2. The address of the property on which the applicant proposes to use water from the system, if different from the applicant's residential address;
3. A description of the agricultural uses for which the applicant proposes to use water from the system;
4. The applicant's best estimate of the time he or she will need to use water from the system for agricultural use (i.e., year round, during the winter months, etc.);
5. The applicant's best estimate of the amount of water from the system which will be necessary for the agricultural purpose each month;
6. A description of the reasons the applicant believes it must have water from the system for its agricultural purposes, including the applicant's efforts to obtain water for the agricultural purpose from other sources.
C. Hearing; Decision: After receiving an application under subsection B of this section, the city council shall set the matter for a hearing. At the hearing, the city council will consider any evidence that the applicant wishes to present and will decide whether to allow the applicant to use water from the system for agricultural purposes. The decision of the council shall be final.
D. Conditions Of Usage:
1. If the city council decides to allow the applicant to use water from the system for agricultural purposes, the city council may impose such conditions on the use as the council determines are necessary or convenient, including limiting the amount of water from the system a customer may use for agricultural purposes and limiting the times of the year when a customer may use water from the system for agricultural purposes.
2. If the city council grants the application, it shall provide the applicant with written notice of the conditions which have been imposed on the use. The notice shall contain a statement that culinary and residential uses of the system have priority and that if the city is required to limit usage of water because of drought or for any other reason, agricultural connections may be turned off, even if no restrictions are placed on residential and culinary users.
3. Customers who use water from the system for agricultural purposes must install a separate connection and water meter for the agricultural use and pay any connection fees associated with the separate connection.
4. The city shall shut off the water of any customer who is using water from the system for agricultural purposes if the customer violates the conditions attached to the use of the water for agricultural purposes.
E. Schedule Of Charges: At the time the city approves the first agricultural use under this section, it shall also approve a schedule of charges for agricultural users of the system. This schedule shall be adopted by resolution and may be changed from time to time by resolution. (Ord. 168-03, 11-11-2003)