[Adopted 11-16-2010 by L.L. No. 4-2010]
Owner-occupied residential buildings in the City of Amsterdam may be temporarily exempt from per-unit charges for water, sewer and garbage user fees as provided in this article.
A. 
The property must consist of a multiple-unit residential building, of two to four units, that is assessed user fees on a per-unit basis.
B. 
The building must be owner-occupied.
C. 
The unit to have its fees abated must be unoccupied and must have water supply piping to any kitchen fixtures in the unit disconnected.
D. 
Application for abatement must be made before the taxable status date for assessment of real property. The abatement will take effect on the next levy of user fees.
E. 
Abatement will be granted separately to individual qualifying units in a building.
A. 
Application shall at a minimum consist of a certified statement by the owner of the building stating that the unit(s) is(are) unoccupied, that a unit in the building is owner-occupied and that the kitchen fixture in the unit is disconnected from water supply piping.
B. 
The applicant shall pay an application fee of $50 per unit.
C. 
A City code enforcement officer shall inspect the unit to verify that the water supply piping to the kitchen fixtures are disconnected.
D. 
To continue the abatement in force the owner must recertify annually. Recertification does not require the payment of a fee or inspection.
E. 
The owner must permit inspection of the building and unit upon 15 days' written notice by the City, or the abatement may be revoked by the City.
A. 
The abatement will terminate upon failure to recertify, failure to permit inspection or upon notification that the owner desires the abatement to end. In the event that the owner elects to end the abatement, the subject property will have its quarterly unit charges added to its tax bill commencing the quarter after termination.
B. 
The abatement will terminate if the building is not owner-occupied.
A. 
A property owner who occupies an abated unit shall owe all abated fees retroactive to the date of the last inspection, and such fees will be a lien on the subject property.
B. 
It is unlawful for a property owner to rent out or permit occupancy of an abated unit. Such an act is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail, or both.