[R.O. 1996 § 715.010; Ord. No. 289 Art. I, 5-12-1988]
It is determined and declared to
be necessary and conducive to the protection of the public health,
safety, welfare and convenience of the City to collect charges from
all users who contribute wastewater to the City's treatment works.
The proceeds of such charges so derived will be used for the purpose
of operating, maintaining and retiring the debt for such public wastewater
treatment works.
[R.O. 1996 § 715.020; Ord. No. 289 Art. II §§ 1 — 11, 5-12-1988]
Unless the context specifically indicates
otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this Chapter shall be as follows:
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation
of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five (5)
days at twenty degrees Centigrade (20° C), expressed in milligrams
per liter (mg/l).
Wastewater that has a BOD concentration of not more than
three hundred (300) mg/l and a suspended solids concentration of not
more than three hundred fifty (350) mg/l.
Wastewater expenditures during the useful life of the treatment
works for materials, labor, utilities, and other items which are necessary
for managing and maintaining the sewage works to achieve the capacity
and performance for which such works were designed and constructed.
Expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories,
or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the
treatment works to maintain the capacity and performance for which
such works were designed and constructed. The term "operation and
maintenance" includes replacement.
Any contributor to the City's treatment works whose lot,
parcel of real estate, or building is used for domestic dwelling purposes
only.
Is mandatory; "may" is permissive.
Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension
in water, sewage, or other liquids and which are removable by laboratory
filtering.
Any devices and systems for the storage, treatment, recycling,
and reclamation of municipal sewage, domestic sewage, or liquid industrial
wastes. These include intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, sewage
collection systems, individual systems, pumping, power, and other
equipment and their appurtenances; extensions improvement, remodeling,
additions and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a
reliable recycled supply such as standby treatment units and clear
well facilities; and any works, including site acquisition of the
land that will be an integral part of the treatment process or is
used for ultimate disposal of residues resulting from such treatment,
including land for composting sludge, temporary storage of such compost,
and land used for the storage of treated wastewater in land treatment
systems before land application; or any other method or system for
preventing, abating, reducing, storing, treating, separating, or disposing
of municipal waste or industrial waste, including waste in combined
storm water and sanitary sewer systems.
The estimated period during which a treatment works will
be operated.
That portion of the total wastewater service charge which
is levied in a proportional and adequate manner for the cost of operation,
maintenance, and replacement of the wastewater treatment works.
A water volume measuring and recording device, furnished
and/or installed by the City of Gerald or furnished and/or installed
by a user and approved by the City of Gerald.
[R.O. 1996 § 715.030; Ord. No. 289 Art. III §§ 1 — 3, 5-12-1988]
A.Â
The user charge system shall generate adequate
annual revenues to pay costs of annual operation and maintenance,
including replacement and costs associated with debt retirement of
bonded capital associated with financing the treatment works which
the City may, by ordinance, designate to be paid by the user charge
system. That portion of the total user charge which is designated
for operation and maintenance, including replacement of the treatment
works, shall be established by this Chapter.
B.Â
That portion of the total user charge collected
which is designated for operation and maintenance, including replacement
purposes shall be deposited in a separate non-lapsing fund known as
the "Operation Maintenance and Replacement Fund" and will be kept
in one (1) account as follows:
1.Â
An account designated for the specific
purpose of defraying operation and maintenance, excluding replacement,
of the treatment works (Operation and Maintenance Account).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Subsection (B)(2), regarding provisions for
a replacement account, was removed by the City during the 2020 recodification
project.
C.Â
Fiscal year-end balances in the Operation
and Maintenance Account shall be carried over to the same account
in the subsequent fiscal year, and shall be used for no other purposes
than those designated for the account. Monies which have been transferred
from other sources to meet temporary shortages in the operation, maintenance
and replacement fund shall be returned to their respective accounts
upon appropriate adjustment of the user charge rates for operation,
maintenance and replacement. The user charge rate shall be adjusted
such that the transferred money will be returned to the respective
account within the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which
the money was borrowed.
[R.O. 1996 § 715.040; Ord. No. 289 Art. VI §§ 1 — 2, 5-12-1988]
A.Â
The City will review the user charge system
every year and revise user charge rates as necessary to ensure that
the system generates adequate revenues to pay the costs of operation
and maintenance, including replacement and that the system continues
to provide for the proportional distribution of operation and maintenance
including replacement costs among users and user classes.
B.Â
The City will notify each user at least
annually, in conjunction with a regular bill, of the rate being charged
for operation and maintenance, including replacement of the treatment
works.
