[Ord. No. 403 §7, 2-6-1995; Ord. No. 415A §§2 — 3, 12-15-1995; Ord. No. 428 §1, 8-19-1996; Ord. No. 429 §1, 11-18-1996; Ord. No. 465 §1, 12-1-1997; Ord. No. 547 §1, 8-17-1998; Ord. No. 1209 §1, 11-19-2001; Ord. No. 1832 §§1 — 2, 10-17-2005]
A.
All
service connections, including service tee, connection, service line,
regulator, meter and all necessary appurtenances shall require the
following fee:
B.
Deposit Required To Activate Service.
1.
Before any gas service for residential or small commercial customers
is provided by the City, the applicant shall deposit with the City
Collector the sum of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
2.
Before any gas service for large commercial customers is provided
by the City, the applicant shall deposit with the City Collector the
sum of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00).
3.
Property owners in the City limits of St. Robert will not be required
to pay a deposit for Natural Gas to residential or commercial property
they occupy.
4.
All deposits shall be returned to the depositor upon termination
of service to the depositor. In the event that any depositor should
have any unpaid bills for service furnished by the City, the City
shall have the right to apply said deposit toward the payment of said
bill.
5.
Final readings for a utility service will be processed at the end
of the month in which a service was discontinued and any refund or
final bill will be received by the utility customer within the first
(1st) week of the following month in which a service was discontinued.
C.
Deposit Required To Test Meter Accuracy.
1.
In the event a customer requests an accuracy test of a meter, the
customer shall be required, prior to making such test, to deposit
with the City the sum of sixty dollars ($60.00) to cover the cost
of removing, testing and replacing such meter.
2.
In the event such meter is found to register incorrectly by more
than two percent (2%), an accurate meter shall be substituted and
the test deposit shall be refunded. Past gas bills shall be adjusted
by refund or credit of such percentage of the amount of the gas bills,
for a period of not more than two (2) months previous to such tests.
3.
In the event such meter is found to be registering correctly, the
customer shall forfeit the test deposit and such funds shall be deposited
in the gas operating funds of the City.
D.
Monthly Natural Gas Rates.
[Ord. No. 3193, 2-20-2018; Ord. No. 3492, 3-3-2020]
1.
Residential customer. There will be a mandatory
service availability charge of six dollars ($6.00). As provided in
this Article, the charge for natural gas consumed by each residential
customer, as measured by a meter provided by the City, shall be computed
and billed on a monthly basis at the following rates:
Within City limits over and above the cost of the natural gas
to the City as determined in paragraph (3) below: $5.25/mcf.
Outside City limits over and above the cost of the natural gas
to the City as determined in paragraph (3) below: $5.25/mcf.
2.
Commercial customers. There will be a mandatory
service availability charge of twelve dollars ($12.00). As provided
in this Article, the charge for natural gas consumed by each commercial
customer, as measured by a meter provided by the City, shall be computed
and billed on a monthly basis at the following rates:
Within City limits over and above the cost of the natural gas
to the City as determined in paragraph (3) below: $5.25/mcf.
Outside City limitsover and above the cost of the natural gas
to the City as determined in paragraph (3) below: $5.25/mcf.
3.
The cost to the City for the natural gas shall be determined by using
the last available billing from the City's supplier prior to the monthly
billing to the customer.
4.
The above rates shall be effective next billing cycle.
5.
The Mayor or City Administrator, with the written permission of the
Mayor, is allowed to set a charge for large commercial users based
on the following:
a.
A fixed rate for a fixed period of time not to exceed the time that
the City can lock in a fixed price through the Missouri Association
of Municipal Utilities.
b.
The transportation cost of the natural gas averaged on a historical
usage or annual Citywide usage on a per MCF basis.
c.
The operation and maintenance cost of the gas system on an annual
basis averaged or a historical Citywide usage on a per MCG basis.
d.
The principal and interest for 1998 on an annual basis averaged on
a historical annual Citywide usage on a per MCF basis.
e.
Less a two hundred thousand dollar ($200,000.00) subsidy from the
electrical department averaged on a historical annual Citywide usage
on a per MCF basis.
f.
An increase of up to a maximum of fifty cents ($0.50)/MCF of the
amount of such increase to be in the discretion of the Mayor or City
Administrator over and above the per/MCF rate figured by the above
stated formula.
6.
The Mayor or City Administrator, with the written consent of the
Mayor, is authorized to execute a written or oral agreement with large
commercial customers to set a fixed price per MCF, such agreement
not to exceed the cost which the City is to negotiate with Missouri
Association of Municipal Utilities.
7.
The Mayor or the City Administrator, with the written consent of
the Mayor, is authorized to negotiate a fixed rate for up to one (1)
year with the Association of Municipal Utilities for commercial customers.
8.
The purpose of this Section is to spread the cost per MCF over an
annual usage basis and to not increase the cost to large commercial
users during the summer months.
9.
It is the purpose of this Section to allow the City to provide its
natural gas to its customers on a competitive basis.
10.
A subsidy of up to two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00) for
the natural gas cost for the next twelve (12) months is herewith authorized
from the electrical department funds.
E.
Estimated Monthly Payments (12 Equal Installments).
1.
For residential and small commercial customers wishing to evenly
distribute their monthly natural gas payments over a twelve (12) month
billing cycle, the City shall allow those customers to make equal
monthly payments of sixty-one dollars eighty-eight cents ($61.88).
2.
This estimate is based on average natural gas usage of 110 MCF per
year.
3.
If at the end of the ninth (9th) billing period, it is determined
that adjustments are required, they shall be evenly distributed between
the remaining four (4) billing periods.
4.
Any remaining balance at the end of the twelve (12) month billing
cycle shall be reimbursed to the customer or paid by the customer
to the City at the date specified on the customer's bill.
5.
Meters will be read as close to the middle of the month as may be
convenient; and each customer shall by applying for utility service
be deemed to have authorized officers and employees of the City to
go upon his/her premises at all times for the purposes of reading
meters, making inspections of the utility facilities, and making repairs
to the services. If the meter reader is denied access to read the
electric meter, the meter will be estimated, based on the previous
twelve (12) months service or previous records available. If said
meter reader is denied access, notification upon that billing period
will be issued to the customer. By the time of the next (2nd) month
billing period, if access is denied again, disconnection of service
will be without notice. Request that the meter be re-read because
it was estimated can be done upon payment of a five dollar ($5.00)
service charge.
F.
Whenever
the City finds any meter not registering or otherwise damaged, an
average bill may be rendered to the customer, at the option of the
City, based on either the previous three (3) months average use when
said meter was in good order or based on the same month or months
of the preceding year. Whenever the City has reason to believe that
a meter is not registering correctly, an average bill, as stated above,
may be rendered and the meter removed for testing. If such average
bill proves to be incorrectly estimated, either by actual testing
or by actual gas consumption after being replaced by a corrected meter,
such bill shall be adjusted accordingly.
G.
Charges Associated With Delinquent Bills.
1.
The utility bill will become due and payable upon receipt and will
become delinquent on the fifteenth (15th) day of the month in which
billed. A five percent (5%) penalty shall be added to all monthly
bills for the use of natural gas, if such bills are not paid on or
before the fifteenth (15th) day of the month after the same are due
and payable. Gas service will be discontinued on the first (1st) working
day of the month that is followed immediately by another working day,
if any portion of a utility bill or utility related debt owed to the
City is unpaid.
2.
Any customer who is delinquent in the payment of the charges or rates
for gas service from November first (1st) through March thirty-first
(31st) shall be notified by the Utility Billing Clerk in writing via
registered mail that unless such charges are paid within a period
of five (5) days gas service to the customer's premises shall be terminated
and shall not be reinstated until all delinquent charges due the City
for gas services, including penalties and other charges are received.
3.
Termination and reinstatement of utility services —
non-payment of utility bills. When a City employee is sent
out to terminate the utility service of a residential customer, due
to non-payment of a utility bill, and the bill remains unpaid at the
time the City employee arrives at the location to terminate the utility
service, a fifteen dollar ($15.00) charge for terminating the utility
service and a fifteen dollar ($15.00) charge for reinstating the utility
service, shall be required. In the case of commercial utility customers,
a thirty dollar ($30.00) charge for terminating the utility service
and a thirty dollar ($30.00) charge for reinstating the utility service,
shall be required. In addition, if any utility service to a residential
or a commercial customer is terminated or reinstated before 8:00 A.M.
or after 5:00 P.M. on an official City workday, or on any weekend
or city observed holiday, an additional charge of twenty dollars ($20.00),
shall be required, prior to service being reinstated. When a utility
service has been terminated on two (2) separate occasions, due to
non-payment of a utility bill, the customer shall be required to post
a second (2nd) deposit, equal to the amount of the first (1st) deposit
that is required prior to the City furnishing that utility service.
4.
Any commercial or residential customer that is served by natural
gas that have no other City utilities will pay a one hundred dollar
($100.00) deposit for natural gas. The first (1st) time the customer
is cut off for non-payment they will be required to pay a reconnect
fee plus the past due bill, the second (2nd) time they are cut off
for non-payment the customer will be required to post another one
hundred dollar ($100.00) deposit, pay a reconnect fee and the past
due bill.
H.
Effect Of Natural Gas Wholesaler Rate On Customer.
1.
Any fluctuation in the cost of gas from the City's supplier of natural
gas shall be automatically passed on to the gas consumer (fuel cost
adjustment). Said fluctuation shall be added to or subtracted from
the basic rate schedule established herein, immediately upon the effective
date of the increase or decrease of the cost of gas from the City's
natural gas supplier.
2.
The Gas Committee or any other committee designated by the Mayor
to supervise the operation of the Gas Department shall annually study
the cost of operation and management of the City's Natural Gas System
and shall file a written report thereof with the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen who shall increase or decrease the natural gas rates in the
City when necessary for the safe, efficient and financially responsible
operation and management of the City's Natural Gas System.
I.
In the event of a community emergency or other extraordinary, unforeseen circumstances, the Mayor and City Administrator are authorized to act within their discretion to lengthen the payment and account termination schedule set out in Section 725.260(G) and/or to waive all or part of the customer's invoiced natural gas charges, so long as the action taken is otherwise lawful.
[Ord. No. 3666, 3-16-2021]
The City will provide the required meter, piping and manpower necessary to supply the demand of the new construction. The materials and labor are paid by the facility being served and are as set out in Appendix A to Chapter 500 of this Code.
