Chapter 13.08 — SEWER FACILITIES CHARGES AND REGULATIONS

A.

The city council finds and determines that it is in the best interest of the people of the city to impose sewer facilities charges to pay for the operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and improvement of the city's sewer facilities. Imposing sewer facilities charges will allow the city to provide safe, adequate and up-todate sewer facilities for the use and benefit of the people of the city and benefits to their health, safety and welfare.

B.

The city council further finds that sewer facilities charges should be imposed upon users and uses of the sewer facilities on a costs reasonably borne basis, and that the rates of such charges should be set by resolution.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.005; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004)

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

A.

Premises means a lot, parcel of land, building or establishment.

B.

Sewer facilities means the sanitary sewer collection, disposal and treatment system of the city and all appurtenances thereto and portions thereof.

C.

User means any person or entity who uses the city sewer facilities or who has used such sewer facilities within the previous 24 months.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.010; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004)

Applications for connections with the sewer facilities shall be in writing and shall be made to the department of public works of the city, which department shall issue permits for such connection with the approval of the public works director or the public works superintendent. Upon making application for connection to any portion of the sewer facilities, the applicant shall pay to the city the actual costs of all labor and materials expended, together with the administrative fee for such connection.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.020; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6- 9-2025)

In no event shall the public works director or the public works superintendent be required to lay or place connections to the sewer facilities other than from the sewer main to the property line of the property to be served by such connection. In all cases, the materials so used, and which become a part of such connection, shall become the property of the property owner and is under the control of the public works superintendent.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.030; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6- 9-2025)

In order to avoid redundant connections to properties, no more than one sewer system connection per parcel may be made.

(Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6-9-2025)

• Charges for operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and improvement of sewer facilities.

The city imposes a charge upon all users of the city sewer facilities a charge for operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and improvement of those sewer facilities. The rates of charge for specific uses and users shall be set by resolution. No charge shall be imposed upon sewage outfall flowage itself.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.040; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1 (part), 2004)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any contracts for sewer services negotiated by the city with governmental agencies, political subdivisions, or other persons or entities outside its corporate limits shall be based upon the outfall flow from such entity into the city system, provided that nothing herein contained shall affect the validity of presently existing contracts for such services.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.050; Ord. No. 508, §1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004)

A.

Bills for monthly periods in advance shall be mailed or delivered to each user of city sewer facilities which are subject to the charges as set by resolution. Each such monthly bill shall be paid in advance on or before the 15th day of the monthly period for which it is tendered.

B.

Any and every bill not paid within 20 days from the last day of the month in which it is tendered shall thereupon be and become delinquent whereupon ten percent of the amount of the bill shall be added thereto as penalty for delinquency. On the 20th day of each monthly period thereafter that the same bill remains unpaid, there shall be added thereto an additional 1½ percent of the original amount of the bill as additional penalty or penalties for delinquency.

C.

Any user being connected for the first time or being reconnected to the sewer facilities of the city shall be charged in advance for the sewer services for or during the monthly period during which such connection is made.

D.

There shall be no refund, rebate, reduction or allowance in the charges against any premises for any monthly period because of the destruction, demolition or removal of the building or premises, the disconnection from the sewer system during such period or for the nonuse of the sewer system.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.060; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6- 9-2025)

A.

Any qualifying applicant who receives sewer services at the applicant's personal residence may apply for a 25 percent reduction in the monthly unit sewer service charge respecting use at the residence only. Applications for reduced rates shall be on forms supplied by the city. All information required to be given on such forms shall be supplied by the applicant under penalty of perjury.

B.

Reduced rates shall be granted qualifying applicants who receive a bill for service directly from the city and file their applications with the finance director.

C.

For the purposes of this section, a "qualifying applicant" is defined as any household occupied by a person 65 years of age or older who is a member of a household and who has a verifiable gross income of no more than that specified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as "very low income" for the county.

D.

The finance director may adopt such rules and regulations, not inconsistent herewith, which the director deems necessary to properly carry out the provisions of this section.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.061; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1 (part), 2004)

In addition to any other remedy allowed to the city, where a commercial or other nonresidential user has not paid any billing of the city for sewer services within 60 days after that bill is tendered the city, after ten days' prior written mailed notice, shall have the right to immediately shut-off sewer service to such user. Nothing herein shall limit the right of the city to shut-off delinquent commercial or other nonresidential users. The city will restore sewer service after the account is paid in full plus the actual cost to shut-off and restore the sewer service.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.065; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, §1(part), 2004)

The charges and rentals levied pursuant to this chapter shall be collected by the public works department, which shall prepare and send monthly statements for all charges fixed by this chapter. The public works director, or designated representative, is authorized to make all such inspections may be necessary to implement this chapter.

(Code 1985, § 13.08.070; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004)