Corte Madera Municipal Code Ch. 21.32 Sewer Connection and Annexation

The owner or owners of lands within areas to be annexed to the district shall pay to the district, prior to any annexation proceedings being initiated, a deposit in an amount that is an estimate of the actual cost on a time and materials basis for the district in performing any work on the annexation, including that incurred by the district for service initiation, inspection and administration, including any engineering, legal and publication, preparation and examination of maps. A minimum deposit shall be five thousand dollars. The owner shall also sign an agreement in a form provided by the district to fully reimburse the district for any and all costs incurred under this section above the amount of deposit. Upon completion of the work, a final accounting will be made of all costs incurred by the district. If such costs are less than the amount of the deposit, the difference shall be refunded to the applicant. If such costs are greater than the amount of the deposit, the applicant shall, upon request, pay to the district the amount of the difference. In any case, final acceptance of the work will not be made until such time as the district has been fully reimbursed for all costs incurred in connection with the work.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)

(a) The owner or owners of lands within areas hereafter annexed to the district shall pay to the district, prior to the issuance of a permit to connect any portion of the property so annexed to the sanitary sewer system of the district, a sewer connection fee in an amount to be established by ordinance adopted by ⅔ vote of the board of directors. This sewer connection fee shall not include the amount charged to the district by the Central Marin Sanitation Agency for the connection of the owner's building to the public sewer.

(b) This charge shall be due and payable, in the case of subdivisions in annexed areas, prior to the approval of the final improvement plans for the subdivision by the district.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)

For each sewer user unit to be connected to the district sewer system, a sewer connection charge in an amount to be established by ordinance adopted by ⅔ vote of the board of directors shall apply, except as provided by the preceding section.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)

One sewer user unit shall be assigned to each dwelling unit including those contained in single-family buildings, multiple dwelling buildings and each dwelling unit contained in a commercial, or other improved premises in the manner set forth by this section.

(a) A single family residence is assigned 1.0 sewer user unit.

(b) A multiple family residential dwelling is assigned 1.0 sewer user unit per dwelling unit.

(c) Mobile Home Or Trailer Court. 0.80 sewer user units will be assigned to each rental space provided with a sewer hook-up for a trailer intended to be fixed in the same space for six months or more. 0.25 sewer user units will be assigned to each rental space provided with a sewer hook-up for a transient trailer, camper or camping trailer.

(d) Hotel or Motel. 0.25 sewer user units shall be assigned to each guest room or suite contained in a hotel or motel.

(e) A residential apartment shall be assigned the number of sewer user units that is the greater of the following calculations:

(1) The percentage of occupancy of the residential apartment multiplied by the number of rooms available to rent on December 31 of the applicable year; or

(2) The winter consumption units for the residential apartment reported by the Marin Municipal Water District during the winter of the applicable year multiplied by .05 (i.e., bimonthly water consumption reading multiplied by 100 divided by 2 divided by 1,000).

As used in this subsection "percentage of occupancy" shall be determined by applying the following three-step formula:

(1) Multiply the number of rooms that were actually rented in the residential apartment throughout the applicable calendar year by 365;

(2) Multiply the number of rooms available for rent in the residential apartment on December 31 of the applicable year by 365;

(3) Divide the answer in the first step by the answer in the second step. This number is the percentage of occupancy.

(f) Nonresidential Premises. For premises other than dwelling units, sewer user units shall be assigned based on the sewage discharge and strength of the premise. The winter water use for each nonresidential user shall be divided by one thousand cubic feet per month, which is deemed to be the average winter season residential use for the base year, to determine the sewer user units to be assigned. Sewer user units as calculated above shall be rounded to the nearest integer (not less than one).

(g) Base Year Water Consumption. Sewer user unit assignments are based on the latest winter season water consumption records available at the time of the first adoption of the ordinance codified in this section and may be revised from time to time. Water consumption by nonresidential users shall be adjusted upon request of the user, according to the decision of district staff, if a significant portion of the base year water consumption was used for irrigation flows and other flows not discharging to the sewerage system.

(h) High Strength Sewage. For certain nonresidential premises which discharge sewage having significantly greater strength characteristics as measured by concentration of solids or biological oxygen demand than residential sewage, the total sewer user unit assignment shall be determined by multiplying the units determined in subsection (f) by the strength factor shown.

For other users, if any, discharging high strength sewage, the strength factor shall be as determined by district staff.

(i) Inquiry Regarding Assignment of Sewer User Units and Strength Factors. Questions or inquiries regarding the assignment of sewer user units, adjustments therein for irrigation flows or other flows not discharging to the sewerage system and strength factors must be submitted to the district in writing before changes in unit assignment will be made. District staff shall have the authority to make appropriate adjustments in sewer user units and strength factors assigned based on factual data supplied by the user or obtained independently by district staff.

(j) Any decision of district staff made under this section may be appealed in accordance with this title.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)

The sewer connection charges herein established are applicable to the use proposed to be made of the premises at the time the connection fee is imposed. In the event of alteration of the premises or of additional use (including sewage discharge and strength) of the sewer facilities for which the connection charge was originally established, additional connection fees for such altered premises or increased use shall be made so as to adjust the connection charge to the new use after having been credited for the original charge.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)

Upon making application to the district for a sewer connection permit and inspection that is an estimate of the time and materials to recover the cost to provide these services. The minimum deposit for these services shall be one thousand dollars for a single-family residence and two thousand dollars for multiple-family residence, commercial, public and other premises. The owner shall sign an agreement in a form provided by the district to fully reimburse the district for any and all costs incurred under this section above the amount of deposit. Upon completion of the work, a final accounting will be made of all costs incurred by the district. If such costs are less than the amount of the deposit, the difference shall be refunded to the applicant. If such costs are greater than the amount of the deposit, the applicant shall, upon request, pay, an owner shall pay a fee or make a deposit to the district therein an amount of the difference. In any case, final acceptance of the work will not be made until such time as the district has been fully reimbursed for all costs incurred in connection with the work established by the board under Section 21.28.010. If the owner is required to make a deposit rather than pay a fixed fee, the deposit provisions stated in Section 21.28.010 shall be applied.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 38 § 2, 2004: San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)

Permission shall not be granted to connect any improved premises located outside the district to the district sewer system unless a permit therefor is obtained. The applicant shall first enter into a contract in writing whereby the applicant and the applicant's heirs, successors and assigns shall be bound to abide by all ordinances, rules and regulations in regard to the manner in which such sewer shall be used and the manner of connecting therewith, and also shall agree to pay all fees required for securing the permit and a monthly fee in the amount set by the district for the privilege of using such sewer.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)

The granting of such permission for an outside sewer in any event shall be optional with the board.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)

Where special conditions exist relating to an outside sewer they shall be the subject of a special contract between the applicant and the district.

(San. Dist. No. 2 Ord. 34 § 2 (part), 2002)