Ceres Municipal Code Ch. 16 Sewer Fees, Rates, and Charges

A. The charges for sewer service shall be set by resolution of the City Council in accordance with California Health and Safety Code section 5471, as amended. The City Council may also set fees for other services provided by the City Sewer Division by resolution.

When sewer service is turned on or terminated at any time between the beginning and ending of the monthly billing period for any flat rate or unmetered installation, the amount charged for that month shall be prorated on a daily basis from the date of commencement or termination of service as is appropriate.

B. The City shall cause to be billed the bimonthly user charges pursuant to this chapter for the previous two month period. Said payment shall be due and payable upon receipt and shall be delinquent on the first day of the month following receipt. Upon becoming delinquent, said payment shall be subject to a ten percent penalty. Thereafter, if the payment remains unpaid, it shall be subject to an additional penalty of one-half percent per month on the payment and any penalty imposed.

C. Charges to constitute a lien; disconnection.

1. Each user charge levied pursuant to this chapter on property within the limits of the City is hereby made a lien upon the premises served by a connection to the POTW.

2. In the event of a failure of payment of the user charge as provided herein for properties located outside of the City limits, the Director is authorized and directed to disconnect such property from the POTW.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

A. Rates for garbage grinders, other than household type, and for any other device which discharges waste to the sewer system not specified under this chapter shall be fixed by the City Council by resolution.

B. Industrial sewer service rates, fees and charges shall be set by resolution of the City Council and may be adjusted to compensate the City for the effect the discharge may have on the system. Such factors as biological oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS) may be used.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

All moneys collected by the City for sewer service and industrial sewer service charges as set forth under this chapter shall be placed in a special sewer service fund and shall be expended for operation, maintenance, administrative overhead, and replacement of the sewer system, including any real property, easements or rights-of-way to be used in the City sewer systems, or for payment of principal or interest on any City sewer bonds. Sewer service funds may be expended for the repair or replacement of a house connection in the City right-of-way only if the house connection has been damaged by a City maintained tree, as provided in subsection 13.15.110.E.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

A. Any person, firm or corporation owning or controlling a lot or parcel of land within the City limits, or within any territory designated by the City Council to receive sewer service, may connect their properties to the City sewer system upon construction of the house or industrial connection, at their own expense, payment of the sewer connection fee, and payment for encroachment permits; building permits and inspection fees as required by ordinance. No house or industrial connections can be connected directly to a trunk sewer line. Connection to a manhole is not considered a direct connection.

B. The sewer connection fee shall not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the sewer service. The fee shall be established by resolution by the City Council, which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with State law.

C. If the sewer system is connected by the owner or controller of a property, the property shall be exempt from payment of the sewer connection fee.

D. Any establishment of a new sewer connection or of an increase in an existing sewer connection fee shall adhere to the notice and hearing requirements established by State law.

E. If the sewer system is extended by a developer, the development which will be served by the extension is exempt from the payment of connection fees. The construction of a sewer manhole is considered an extension of the sewer system. The construction of a house connection is not an extension of the sewer system.

F. The connection fee shall be set by resolution of the City Council, and may be adjusted annually or more frequently as deemed necessary by the City Council in accordance with State law.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

All money collected by the City for sewer connection fees as set forth under this chapter shall be placed in a special sewer connection account and shall be expended for the construction, or repayment for construction, of the sewer lines serving the tract or territory from which the fees were collected. This includes reimbursing the City for sewer mains constructed to serve areas without sewer and, paying the City of Modesto's connection fee for areas where waste-water is treated by Modesto.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

The purpose of the sewer facility fee is to develop and maintain an adequate and safe sewer system to serve commercial, industrial, residential, and public facility land uses as established in the General Plan. The purpose of the Sewer Facility Fee is to provide the City with funds to construct, or reimburse for the construction of major improvements, such as trunk lines, pump stations, and treatment facilities to achieve the above stated goal.

In addition to the charges above, sewer facility fees shall be paid in accordance with the current public facility fee administrative procedures. Any additional residential units added to parcels, including the area annexed prior to December 14, 1960, shall pay facility fees for each additional unit added to the parcel after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, as provided in said administrative procedures.

The sewer facility fee shall be set by resolution of the City Council, and may be adjusted annually or more frequently as deemed necessary by the City Council.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

All moneys collected by the City from the sewer facility fee shall be placed in a special sewer facility fund and shall be expended for the construction or repayment for construction of main sewer lines and trunk sewer lines in accordance with chapter 13.15, pump stations, treatment facilities, and other major facilities required to treat or dispose of the wastewater discharged into the sewer system.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

The Finance Director or any other person authorized by resolution of the City Council shall be in charge of the collection of all moneys that may become due to the City by virtue of this chapter, and shall pay the moneys into the City treasury and account for them in the same manner as are all other sums received.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)