East Palo Alto Municipal Code Art. VII Sewer Service Charges

Unless the context otherwise indicates, terms used in this article have the following meanings:

Additional Definitions. For the purpose of this chapter, additional terms shall have the meaning indicated in Chapter 1 of the last edition, and any revision thereof, of the "Western Plumbing Officials Uniform Plumbing Code" adopted by the Western Plumbing Officials Association, copies of which are on file in the office of the city engineer.

"City" means the city of East Palo Alto, California.

"Council" means the city council of the city of East Palo Alto.

"District" means sewer maintenance or city sanitation districts.

"Report" means the report referred to in Section 5473 of the Health and Safety Code of the state of California.

Residential Unit. For purposes of this chapter, a "residential unit" shall be as established under Section 13.08.050 of this code.

Residential Unit Equivalent for Commercial and Industrial Sewerage Services. For purposes of this chapter, all parcels of property not classified as in Residential Unit above, shall be charged for sewerage services on the basis of residential unit equivalents. To determine the number of residential unit equivalents, the average daily domestic water delivered in gallons to the parcel shall be divided by four hundred (400). Upon proper application and substantiation by the owner of the parcel, the city engineer may modify the number of residential unit equivalents so calculated due to the fact that a substantial amount of the domestic water delivered to the parcel does not enter the sanitary sewer system.

"Sewer service charges" means fees, tolls, rates, rentals or other charges for services and facilities furnished in connection with the district's sanitation or sewerage system.

(Prior code § 11-2.701)

Sewer service charges shall be set from time to time by resolution of the city council.

(Prior code § 11-2.702)

At the time of hearings, the council shall hear and consider all objections or protests, if any, to such report referred to in such notice and may continue the hearing from time to time.

(Prior code § 11-2.703)

Upon the conclusion of the hearing on the reports, the council will adopt, revise, change, reduce or modify any charge or overrule any or all objections and shall make its determination upon each charge as described in said reports, which determination shall be final.

(Prior code § 11-2.704)

On or before the tenth day of August in each year following the final determination of the council, the clerk of the city council shall file with the auditor a copy of such reports with a statement endorsed thereon over his/her signature that they have been finally adopted by the council, and the auditor shall enter the amounts of the charges against the respective lots or parcels of land as they appear on the current assessment roll.

(Prior code § 11-2.705)

Where any such parcels are outside the boundaries of the district, they shall be added to the assessment roll of the district for the purpose of collecting such charges.

(Prior code § 11-2.706)

If the property is not described on the roll, the auditor shall enter the description thereon together with the amounts of the charges, as shown on the report.

(Prior code § 11-2.707)

The amount of the charges shall constitute a lien against the lot or parcel of land against which the charge has been imposed as of noon on the first Monday in March of each year. The tax collector shall include the amount of the charges on bills for taxes levied against the respective lots and parcels of land.

(Prior code § 11-2.708)

Thereafter, the amount of the charges shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner and by the same person as, together with and not separately from, the general taxes for the district, and shall be delinquent at the same time and thereafter be subject to the same penalties for delinquency.

(Prior code § 11-2.709)

All laws applicable to the levy, collection and enforcement of general taxes of the district, including but not limited to those pertaining to the matter of delinquency, correction, cancellation, refund and redemption, are applicable to such charges.

(Prior code § 11-2.710)