Rohnert Park Municipal Code Ch. 13.42 Sewers—permit and Service Charges

The amounts and rate schedules for fees and charges authorized hereunder shall be set by ordinance of the city council.

(Ord. 772 § 3 (part), 2006)

A fee for application for a sewer use permit is authorized to recover costs of administering sewer use permits. Separate fee schedules may be established for the two classes of permits, i.e., nonresidential and industrial.

(Ord. 772 § 3 (part), 2006)

The sanitary sewer facilities of the city, including all system parts and components for the collection, transportation, treatment and disposition of domestic and industrial waste products, is a city-owned public utility maintained and operated under the control and direction of the city council. The services of the city sanitary sewer system shall be provided to all users in return for payment of service charges, pursuant to this chapter, and the funds obtained by payment and the collection of such charges shall be used exclusively for the uses and purposes of the sewerage system and for payment of interest on and redemption of any bonds the city issued or may issue either by itself or by agreement with another city, district, or agency, as may be directed by the city council. It is the policy of the city that the city sewerage system be operated as a self-supporting utility and that service charges for its use shall be calculated and changed from time to time in sufficient amounts to operate and maintain the city sewer system and to provide for the expansion of the system to meet the needs of all users without resort to the general and other funds of the city.

(Ord. 772 § 3 (part), 2006)

The city council shall establish, review annually, and revise periodically sewer service charges so that the total revenue from the collection of such charges is equal to the total cost of operating, maintaining, and expanding the city sewer system. The cost of operating the system shall include the cost of providing reasonable reserves in accordance with standard public utility bookkeeping practices and the cost of providing bond interest and redemption as may be ordered by the city council with regard to any bonds the city has issued or may issue either by itself or by agreement with another city, district, or agency for the sanitary sewer system purposes. All rates and charges shall meet applicable state and federal guidelines.

A. Rate Schedule. The city council shall by ordinance establish rates for sewer service.

B. Standards for Calculation. The city council shall calculate sewer service charges in accordance with the following rules and regulations:

1. The standard utility accounting period shall be a fiscal year commencing July first and ending June thirtieth;

2. The service charge shall be payable by each user on a monthly rate and generally billed and paid with the bill for water service to the same premises;

3. Sewer service charges shall be based upon the estimated actual use of the city sewerage system by the premises or user, except that a minimum charge may be set based upon a minimum monthly usage;

4. Estimated actual use shall be quantified based on bimonthly or monthly metered water consumption from all sources but excluding water which, upon determination by the city engineer, is found to not be discharged to a city sewer;

5. Charges additional to nonresidential users and industrial users will be assessed for sewage strengths exceeding those of residential users and shall be based on the pounds of BOD suspended solids and any other applicable waste loadings discharged to the city sewer each billing period determined in accordance with Chapter 13.44.

a. Special charges may be made to reimburse the city for abnormal costs incurred because of other pollutants in the waste water. All rates including those for seasonal industries shall include in their capital related element the costs of allocated capacity service in the subregional system. Industrial rates, to the extent applicable, shall include provisions to comply with industrial cost recovery provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972. Charges to users for wastes conveyed to a point of direct entry to the city sewerage system by tank truck or other conveyance shall be based on volume, general waste strength, and other cost associated factors as may be applicable;

6. Charges for user agencies shall be in accordance with the terms of the agreement between each user agency and the city.

C. Special Rates. The city council may enter into written agreements for rates other than those listed when special conditions or circumstances make the listed rates inapplicable.

D. Relief from Unjust Rates. The owner or occupants of any premises, who, by reason of special circumstance finds that the foregoing rates are unjust or inequitable as applied to his premises, may make written application to the council, stating the circumstances and requesting a different basis of charges for sewer services to his premises. If such application be approved, the council may by resolution fix and establish fair and equitable rates for such premises to be effective as of the date of such application and continuing during the period of special circumstances. The council may on its own motion find that by reason of special circumstances the foregoing rates are unjust and inequitable as applied to particular premises and may, by resolution, fix and establish fair and equitable rates for such premises during the period of special circumstances.

(Ord. 772 § 3 (part), 2006)

An accounting system shall be maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. It shall be sufficient in detail to demonstrate that collections and disbursements are made in compliance with the intents and purposes of state and federal regulations. Separate accounting shall be maintained for the city sewage collection system and other facilities exclusively serving the city service area.

(Ord. 772 § 3 (part), 2006)

That portion of sewer service charges used for the annual acquisition, construction, reconstruction, replacement, and debt retirement of city-owned facilities funded under PL 92500 shall be deposited into the waste water capital reserve fund and shall be expended and invested in accordance with state and federal regulations and guidelines.

Sewer capacity charges shall be deposited and accounted for in accordance with Chapter 13.40.

All other local charges and fees shall be deposited in the sewer revenue fund and accounted for separately. Disbursement of funds shall be for operation and maintenance expense of the entire sewerage system, capital related expense of the collection system and other facilities exclusively serving the city service area, and interest expense on debt issued for sewage system acquisition, construction, reconstruction, or replacement.

To the extent that sewer service charges, sewer capacity charges and other local fees and charges are imposed to recover subregional system assessments against the city, disbursement of these shall be in accordance with the agreements currently in affect between the city and the subregional system.

(Ord. 772 § 3 (part), 2006)