[R.O. 2003 § 700.010; CC 1997 § 110.010; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.010), 6-14-1999]
The City Administrator shall, directly
or indirectly, supervise all municipal utilities, and he/she or his/her
designee shall conduct any meetings or hearings with users of municipal
services pursuant to this Chapter.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.020; CC 1997 § 110.020; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.020), 6-14-1999]
A. City utilities shall consist of the following:
1.
The City electric utility.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.030; CC 1997 § 110.030; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.030), 6-14-1999]
The City shall furnish utility service
from any of its utilities to customers only upon the expressed conditions
precedent that the City will not be liable to consumer or other person
for an inconvenience, delay, injury, loss or damage whatsoever occurring
by reason of derangements, stoppage, leak, fault or negligent construction
or operation of any of the utility equipment apparatus, distribution
means, pipes or lines, or by reason of the temporary shutting off
of any of the utility service to clear or repair the same or for any
other purpose, or by reason of the scarcity or insufficiency of the
particular utility service supply, or the character or condition of
the water, electricity or natural gas supply, or by reason of the
clogging or freezing of the mains or service pipes, or the distribution
due to weather or other acts of God; nor shall the City be liable
for the expense of repair of any service pipes, mains or lines not
owned by the City. The City reserves the right at any time to restrict
the use of any utility service for any and all purposes. The Mayor
and Board of Aldermen may, if they determine it necessary, impose
a system of rationing or otherwise restrict the delivery of any or
all utility services to a consumer.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.040; CC 1997 § 110.040; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.040), 6-14-1999]
As related to this Chapter, the City
Clerk or a designated employee shall register all applications for
the supply of any utility service, keep a full and accurate account
of all utility services provided, promptly collect all utility charges
and pay the same to the Treasurer and report to the Mayor and Board
of Aldermen all monies received on a frequency determined by the Mayor
and Board of Aldermen.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.050; CC 1997 § 110.050; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.050), 6-14-1999]
All applications for utility services,
or any utility service, shall be made in writing at the City Hall
to the City Clerk or a designated employee upon an appropriate blank
form furnished by the City. The application shall show the deposits
required, the conditions under which deposits may be returned and
such deposits shall be paid by the applicant at that time. It shall
be expressly understood, and shall be made a part of the application,
that as a consideration for the division of the particular utility
service and of all utility services within the City, incorporated
within said contract shall be the requirements of this Chapter, and
every person by applying for said utility service and by accepting
such service has thereby expressed his/her assent to be bound thereby.
The applicant shall be furnished a copy of his/her application which
shall serve as a receipt for his/her money paid. The application shall
include a space for applicants to provide a telephone number where
they can be reached in the event their payments are delinquent and
they are placed on the disconnection list. The application shall state
that any unpaid bill becomes delinquent at the close of business on
the 20th of the month, and if the delinquent bill is not paid by 8:00
A.M. on the next regular business day, service will be disconnected
until the entire bill, plus any applicable additional charges and
fees, is paid in full. The application shall include a space for applicants
to indicate by name and signature from whom the City may take instructions
related to the account.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.060; CC 1997 § 110.060; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.060), 6-14-1999]
All fees for connection to the electric,
water, sewer or natural gas systems of the City shall be prescribed
by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.070; CC 1997 § 110.070; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.070), 6-14-1999; Ord. No. 984-02 § 1, 6-25-2002; Ord. No. 1015-04 § 1, 1-12-2004; Ord. No. 1035-05 § 1, 1-24-2005]
A. Prior to connection to the City's water,
sewer and/or electric systems, a deposit must be paid to the City
of Gallatin, Missouri, for all new customers for residential purposes
that are City of Gallatin utility customers. The total deposit for
one (1) utility shall be two hundred dollars ($200.00) or one hundred
fifty dollars ($150.00) with a credit recommendation from their previous
utility company or a cosigner who is a City of Gallatin utility customer
in good standing. The total deposit for two (2) or more utilities
shall be three hundred dollars ($300.00) or two hundred dollars ($200.00)
with a credit recommendation from their previous utility company or
a cosigner who is a City of Gallatin utility customer in good standing.
The cosigner must accept responsibility for any unpaid amounts from
this account. The deposit for all new City of Gallatin customers for
commercial purposes shall be three hundred dollars ($300.00). Utility
deposits can be made in the form of a cashier's check, money order,
cash or check, or with approval of the City Administrator by letter
of credit. The City of Gallatin reserves the right to refuse to accept
personal checks for utility deposits.
[Ord. No. 1066-08 § 1, 2-11-2008]
B. By cosigning for another individual, the
cosigning individual acknowledges responsibility for the cosigned
account and accepts that any unpaid or delinquent amount of the cosigned
account shall be added to any account or accounts in the cosigner's
name. The payment, collection, disconnection, reconnection, etc.,
procedures provided for in this Chapter shall then be in effect.
C. In the event that any consumer who has
applied for any utility service and has any outstanding delinquent
bills from any prior utility service in the City under an account
in the consumer's name, an account cosigned by another, or an account
for which the consumer served as a cosigner for another, all delinquent
accounts must be paid in full and the deposit for this new service
shall be the three hundred dollar ($300.00) minimum deposit.
D. A separate deposit shall be required for
every service account. Each service address shall be considered a
separate service account.
E. In the event a utility user discontinues
service, the deposit shall be applied against the final bill and any
excess shall be refunded to the utility user.
F. For any service that is disconnected at the time of the beginning of the next billing cycle, due to any event other than a seasonal absence as stated in Section
700.150(B), a new deposit of three hundred dollars ($300.00) shall be required.
G. In the event for any reason the deposited amount does not remain in full, other than by means of a utility deposit refund as provided for in Section
700.170, the responsible parties, as indicated on the application, shall provide an additional deposit up to the original amount.
H. Each service account that serves a location
primarily or traditionally used as a rental property shall either
be placed in the name(s) of the tenant(s) and subject to the policies
stated in this Chapter, or be placed in the landlord's/owner's name
and subject to the policies stated in this Chapter. In the event the
account is placed in the landlord's/owner's name and the account becomes
delinquent, any and all other service accounts in the landlord's/owner's
name are then subject to the disconnection, reconnection and collection
procedures stated in this Chapter.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.080]
The occupant and user of the premises
receiving services or water and sewerage services combined and the
owner of said premises shall be jointly and severally liable to pay
for such services rendered on said premises. The City shall have power
to sue the occupant or the owner, or both, of such real estate in
a civil action to recover any sums due for such services, plus a reasonable
attorney's fee to be fixed by the court. Any notice of termination
of service shall be sent to both the occupant and owner of the premises
receiving such service, if such owner has requested in writing to
receive any notice of termination and has provided the entity rendering
such service with the owner's business addresses.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.090; CC 1997 § 110.080; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.080), 6-14-1999]
A. All utilities supplied by any City utility
service shall be charged for the same in accordance with the registration
of the meters installed by the City to record such provisions of service,
and charge shall be made in accordance with the registration of such
meters and rates established by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen and
all bills will be collected therefor in full.
B. The City may at any time, and with or without
the knowledge or consent of any consumer, install an additional meter
at any location where such meter may be connected into the service
to any building, dwelling house or premises of any kind to which the
City is furnishing utility service, and when such meter shall for
any period register more utilities than are registered by the meter
on the premises of the consumer, it shall be taken as evidence that
the service being furnished to such consumer is not being properly
metered by the first meter on the consumer's premises, and the consumer
shall pay for all utilities registered over any period by the second
or additional meter so installed, instead of the amount that has been
improperly registered by his/her regular meter.
C. All utility meters furnished by the City
shall remain the property of the City, and designated employees shall
at times have access to replace or remove any meters or accessories
or other property of the City. The City may furnish an outdoor electric
meter box or receptacle by which the meter may be attached to a conduit.
Consumers shall provide space on the outside of the building to which
the electric service is furnished, for the attaching of such box or
receptacle, in a place easily accessible to the meter reader and approved
by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen or his/her designee, and the consumer
shall install conduit and wires connecting such box or receptacle
with the junction service box which serves the wiring in the building
or premises.
D. Any person who tampers with or causes to
be tampered with any meter or other property of a utility within the
City, the effect of which is either:
1.
To prevent the proper measuring of
utility services, or
2.
To permit the diversion of any utility service, shall be punishable pursuant to Section
100.220 of this Code.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.100; CC 1997 § 110.090; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.090), 6-14-1999]
A. Should any customer desire to challenge
the accuracy of any meter supplied by the City, he/she may do so on
request and on payment of an inspection fee. Said inspection fee shall
be designed to cover the actual cost of testing the meter and shall
roughly approximate the cost to the City. This fee shall be set, from
time to time, by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Should the meter
be found to be imperfect and fast in measurement of the service by
more than two percent (2%), the cost of said test shall be paid by
the City and the inspection fee be refunded to the consumer and the
cost of the excess amount of services as represented by the imperfection
of such meter shall be deducted from the total amount of the bill
for the meter reading period for which such bill is rendered. Should
the test show the meter is correct in the margin of error of two percent
(2%), the cost of the excess amount of services shall not be adjudged,
and the inspection fee shall be retained by the City. Should the inspection
show that the meter is imperfect and slow in measurement of the service
by more than two percent (2%), there shall be no adjustment of prior
billings, and the inspection fee will be retained by the City.
B. No consumer shall require a test of any
meter more often than once in six (6) months. At the request of the
consumer, a written report showing the result of such test shall be
given to the consumer requesting the same.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.110; CC 1997 § 110.100; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.100), 6-14-1999; Ord. No. 1067-08 § 1, 2-11-2008]
A. All utility bills are due and payable the
first of each month. The Customer may pay the net amount shown on
the bill through the close of business on the 10th of each month.
Payment must be received at City Hall by the close of business on
the 10th.
B. A five percent (5%) penalty is assessed
on all bills not paid in full before the close of business on the
10th of the month in which the bill first became due. A customer whose
check is accepted on or before the close of business on the 10th of
such month and that check is returned for insufficient funds is subject
to the five percent (5%) penalty in addition to a returned check charge
of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
C. If the City does not receive full payment
(by cash if customer has been put on a cash-only basis) at City Hall
by the close of business on the 20th of the month, service will be
disconnected until the entire bill [including the five percent (5%)
penalty, any check charge, etc.] and a reconnection fee of fifty dollars
($50.00) are paid in full. If the 21st falls on a Friday, the day
before a non-working day, a weekend or a holiday, utility service
will be disconnected on the first regular business day following the
21st.
D. No late notices are required to be mailed,
nor is it required that customers be contacted in person or by telephone
prior to disconnection on the appropriate date and time if the bill
is not paid.
E. Upon receiving a second check that is returned
by the bank not paid, the utility customer will be put on a cash-only
basis and a notice of such status mailed to the customer. The City
Administrator may, upon written request by the customer, permit payment
thereafter by check, but if any bad checks are received, then the
customer shall be on a cash-only basis again. If, while a customer
is on a cash-only basis, a check is tendered for payment, an attempt
will be made to notify the customer by phone that the check has been
received but cannot be used for payment. Failure of City personnel
to reach the customer by phone, or to otherwise notify or remind the
customer that a check cannot be used, does not limit the right of
the City to discontinue service to the customer for non-payment.
F. In the event that the City is required
to undertake collection procedures to collect any unpaid utility bill,
then the customer, in addition to all other sums owed, shall pay all
costs of collection including reasonable attorney fees.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.120; CC 1997 § 110.110; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.110), 6-14-1999]
A. The City shall make a reasonable effort
to reach each customer who is on the delinquent list. Failure by the
City to reach any customer on the delinquent list in no way affects
the City's right to disconnect the customer's utility services pursuant
to the City Code. City Hall personnel shall follow the following procedure
on the 20th day of each month:
1.
Print out a delinquent list;
2.
Mark off delinquent customers as
they pay;
3.
Make a reasonable effort to contact
customers on the delinquent list;
4.
At the close of business (4:30 P.M.),
print out a new delinquent list and double check for the customers
that have paid;
5.
Write out service orders for delinquent
customers;
6.
The City shall begin disconnection on the first regular business day following the 20th of the month at 8:00 A.M. pursuant to Section
700.110(C).
[R.O. 2003 § 700.130; CC 1997 § 110.120; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.120), 6-14-1999]
A. Any or all utility services may be discontinued
without notice to the customer for the following reasons:
1.
For failure to pay any and all amounts
owed by the user to the City for any utility-related circumstance.
2.
Upon the discovery of any unauthorized
connections or diversions of utility service beyond any meter.
3.
Upon the discovery that utility service
through one (1) meter is being used by more than one (1) customer.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.140; CC 1997 § 110.130; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.130), 6-14-1999]
No utility serviceman employed by
the City of Gallatin shall receive or accept payment or extend service
to any utility service user on or after the 21st day of the month
in the event payment has not been received at City Hall as above provided.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.150; CC 1997 § 110.140; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.140), 6-14-1999]
A. A reconnection charge shall be due and
collected by the City as soon as the City employee(s) enter the customer's
property in order to disconnect utility service. In the event a customer
pays the delinquent bill before the City employee(s) enter the customer's
property to disconnect service, the customer will not be charged the
reconnection fee. In the event that utility service is terminated
to a customer who rents/owns property for residential purposes because
the user is delinquent, service shall not be reconnected until the
user first pays a charge of fifty dollars ($50.00) plus the unpaid
utility account in full.
B. A customer of the City utility services
may request temporary disconnection due to seasonal absences. Such
request must be made in writing at the City Hall upon an appropriate
form furnished by the City. Such form shall include, at a minimum,
the date of disconnection and reconnection and shall indicate the
applicable utility for such disconnection and reconnection. The reconnection
charge of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall not be levied when the procedure
of this Section is followed.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.160; CC 1997 § 110.150; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.150), 6-14-1999]
Upon disconnection of the user's utility service, any and all amounts owed by the user to the City for the provision of such service shall become due and payable within thirty (30) days. The City, in the notice which sets forth the terms of reconnection of such service, shall indicate to the user that the user must pay the entire amount due the City for all utility-related charges in the billing period in which the disconnection took place, plus any past due amounts within thirty (30) days, or the amounts deposited pursuant to Section
700.070 by the user upon connection to the utilities shall be apportioned to insure the payments of any amount due to the City from the user, plus a ten percent (10%) penalty on the total of such amount due to the City. If the user fails to pay the total amount due within thirty (30) days of the disconnection, the said deposits shall be apportioned in a manner consistent with the provisions of this Section, and any excess shall be returned to the user without interest. If the deposits are insufficient to pay the amount due to the City from the user, the City shall, upon final settlement of the user's account, demand a reasonable amount for expenses incurred in the collection of the user's account.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.170; CC 1997 § 110.160; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.160), 6-14-1999]
Whenever a user of the City utility
service shall for any reason cease to use the service within two (2)
years of the connection date of said service and subject to a determination
by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen that the user has complied with
the rules, regulations and ordinances of the City governing the supply
and use of such utility service, and the payment of all bills and
charges there in full by the user, the City shall refund to such user
any amount of such utility deposit, without interest, which has not
been applied against any monies due the City by said user. The City
shall refund without interest all utility deposits to those users
whose accounts have not been delinquent for a two-year period, but
the Mayor and Board of Aldermen may reimpose on a user for all utility
services a deposit requirement consistent with the provisions of this
Chapter upon the subsequent delinquency of payment of any monies owed
the City by the user for a period exceeding thirty (30) days. Such
deposit must be made by the user within fifteen (15) days of written
notice by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen or their designee of such
reimposition of utility deposits. Non-payment of such deposits may
result in utilities being disconnected for failure of user to pay
all monies due to the City pursuant to this Chapter of the City Code.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.180; CC 1997 § 110.170; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.170), 6-14-1999]
Any bill for service charges furnished
by the City may be estimated, when by reason of defect in or failure
to read the appropriate meter or for any other reason, the monthly
bill of the user or customer cannot be accurately determined. The
City Clerk or designated employee shall make such estimate, considering
the average consumption of the user over the previous twelve-month
period, considering the relative use of such utility service within
the City as a whole for the period of time in question, and considering
such other factors as the City Clerk or designated employee may seem
appropriate. Such estimated bills shall be due and payable as are
all other bills rendered under this Chapter.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.190; CC 1997 § 110.180; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.180), 6-14-1999]
A. Any person who, by reason of financial
or other hardship, is unable to pay any money owed to the City for
utility-related matters, prior to the termination date, may be granted
by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen such additional period as the Mayor
and Board of Aldermen may deem appropriate in which to pay the customer's
delinquent account, provided that the Mayor and Board of Aldermen
may not grant to any customer the right to pay their utility bill
past the date when the next month's utility bill would be due.
B. The City may accept payment vouchers, or
letters indicating such payments, for utility service charges from
not-for-profit or government-related housing assistance entities on
behalf of a user of City utilities. The City Clerk or designated employee
shall establish a process for collection of such vouchers or payments.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.200; CC 1997 § 110.190; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.190), 6-14-1999]
A. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen, if and
when he/she deems it appropriate, may establish a "level payment plan"
or "level use plan" wherein a customer's monthly bills are averaged
over a year's cycle so as to avoid undue financial hardship in period
of peak usage. Such level payment or level use plan shall include
the following features:
1.
The estimated use shall be at least
ten percent (10%) above the average usage amounts for the previous
calendar year.
2.
No level payment plan can be entered
into during periods of peak use but can only be agreed upon during
periods of average or below average use.
3.
Should during the year in which the
level payment plan is in effect the rates or charges for a particular
utility be increased, the City shall immediately take a meter reading,
and upon final adjustment shall charge the old rates for utilities
used prior to the effective date of the new rate, and charge it the
new rate for service used after said effective date.
4.
The level payment or level use plan
shall be adjusted upward or downward to effect the change in the service
rate.
5.
At the end of the twelve-month period,
a meter reading shall be calculated and the customer shall be entitled
to a credit for any overpayment and shall immediately be required
to pay any under payment that may have occurred during the period
of the plan.
6.
In the calculation of the level payment
plan, it should be assumed that the usage within a particular period
covered by a particular rate structure was used evenly during the
period of said calculation. Thus, an individual would not receive
as great a benefit of any graduated rate structure that may exist,
even though logic might indicate that there would be a heavier use
of a particular utility service in one (1) particular billing cycle.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.210; CC 1997 § 110.200; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.200), 6-14-1999]
Upon violation by a user of any of
the rules and regulations adopted and imposed by Title VII of this
Code, the user shall be informed in writing of the particular violations
and utility service shall be terminated if the circumstances constituting
the violation are not rectified to the satisfaction of the Mayor and
Board of Aldermen within fifteen (15) days, and that the user, within
the fifteen-day period, may meet with the Mayor and Board of Aldermen
or their designee during regular business hours of the City if the
user believes the charges are erroneous or incorrect. The Mayor and
Board of Aldermen or his/her designee is hereby empowered to require
compliance by the user with all the rules and regulations adopted
and imposed by this Chapter and may require the user to reasonably
demonstrate such compliance to stay the order of disconnection at
the end of the fifteen-day period. If the user does not comply with
the rules and regulations of this Chapter within the fifteen-day period,
the service may be disconnected and the user informed in writing that
the service will be reconnected upon demonstration to the satisfaction
of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen or his/her designee that the user
has complied with the rules and regulations of this Chapter and upon
payment by the user of the reconnection fee, provided that where dishonest
or unauthorized utility service shall be found, the City may terminate
the utility service immediately and the City shall notify such person
that the service will be reconnected upon rectification of the circumstances
causing the disconnection to the satisfaction of the Mayor and Board
of Aldermen and the payment of the reconnection fee, provided, further,
that when any person, after prior notice and a prior opportunity for
hearing consistent with the provisions of this Section, has been denied
service and is still owing the City moves into a building or dwelling
connected with utility service, wherein the person moving in is to
be responsible for the payment of the utility bills, the service shall
be disconnected immediately, and the City shall notify such person
that service will be reconnected upon the payment of all monies due
and a reconnection charge.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.220; CC 1997 § 110.210; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.210), 6-14-1999]
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen and
the various persons designated by them in the line of duty shall at
all reasonable hours have free access to all parts of any building,
dwelling house or premises of any kind to which service is furnished
for the purpose of installing, examining, repairing or removing any
poles, wires, meters or other material or appliances belonging to
the City or to read meters, turn on or cut off service or for any
other purpose that may be deemed essential for the preservation of
such property, prevention of waste or collection of revenue.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.230; CC 1997 § 110.220; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.220), 6-14-1999]
The Missouri Association of Municipal
Utilities is an organization of Cities which operate municipally owned
utilities, and the spirit that brought the Missouri Association of
Municipal Utilities into being was the desire of the member Cities
to act in concert to secure certain benefits for the citizens of the
Cities they serve, and the physical systems of the respective publicly
owned utilities are highly vulnerable to various natural calamities,
accidents and vandalism, and the publicly owned utilities of the association's
member Cities are absolutely essential for the conduct of commerce
and industry and for the safety, health, welfare and comfort of their
citizens. The administrative and operating forces normally maintained
by a stricken City may need to be augmented with temporary emergency
personnel and equipment in times of disaster and the City of Gallatin
is a member of the Missouri Association of Municipal Utilities and
the member Cities of the Missouri Association of Municipal Utilities
are seeking an expression of the other member Cities of intent to
render assistance in times of need. The Board of Aldermen of the City
of Gallatin, being the Governing Body of the municipal utilities of
the City, does resolve that the City of Gallatin will, if possible,
aid other Cities of the Missouri Association of Municipal Utilities
in times of disaster with personnel and equipment and will also share
its technology its statistics and its advice at any time. The City
expresses a desire and intent to render such aid when called upon
by the Governing Body of stricken Cities if, in the opinion of the
City of Gallatin, personnel and equipment are available to aid the
stricken City. Remuneration made for such emergency assistance shall
be mutually agreed upon in individual instances.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.240; CC 1997 § 110.230; Ord. No. 932-99 § 1(110.230), 6-14-1999]
The City of Gallatin has agreed to
enter into a lease with ALLTEL Missouri, Inc. whereby the City of
Gallatin agrees to lease property for the placement of an electric
generator pursuant to the terms and provisions as set forth in the
lease.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.250; Ord. No. 1175-16 § 1, 9-21-2016]
A. The rates for water service to retail customers
of the water distribution system of the City of Gallatin, Missouri,
are set as follows:
1.
Thirty-eight dollars and ninety-five
cents ($38.95) monthly base rate for first one thousand (1,000) gallons.
2.
Seven dollars and twenty-five cents
($7.25) per one thousand (1,000) gallons for all usage per month in
excess of one thousand (1,000) gallons.
B. Pursuant to Section 67.042, RSMo., a statement
of costs for such rate increases is on file with the City Clerk, and
the Board of Aldermen finds that such rate increases are necessary
to support the funding of the water system of the City, including
the payment of revenue bonds to be issued.
[R.O. 2003 § 700.260; Ord. No. 1027-04 §§ 1 — 10, 11-22-2004]
A. From and after the first day of the third
month following the delivery of one million nine hundred fifty thousand
dollars ($1,950,000.00), principal amount of sewer and water system
revenue bonds of the City of Gallatin, Missouri, dated November 22nd
in the year 2004, the initial monthly rates required and which shall
be charged and collected by the City of Gallatin, Missouri, for sewerage
service furnished by the sewer and water system of said City shall
be as follows:
1.
The charge for sewerage service shall
be based upon the total water usage of the individual customer according
to the following rates:
[Ord. No. 1110-12 § 1, 12-10-2012]
|
Sewer Service
|
Charge
|
---|
|
First 1,000 gallons
|
$25.50
|
---|
|
Over 1,000 gallons
|
$4.50 per 1,000 gallons
|
B. The Governing Body of the City of Gallatin,
Missouri, hereby binds and determines that the rates, fees and charges
for the use and services of the sewerage system of the City, necessary
and adequate at this time to meet the requirements of Sections 250.010
to 250.250, inclusive, RSMo., are as hereinbefore specified.
C. All water and meter readings shall be obtained
from the City and bills for sewerage services shall be rendered monthly
as such services accrue. The Clerk, or other officer or representative
of the City designated to prepare and render bills for sewerage services,
shall calculate monthly the amount of each bill and shall render monthly
to each customer a bill for such sewerage services. All such bills
shall be due and payable at the office of the City during regular
hours of business from and after the date of the rendition thereof.
D. If any bill for sewerage services shall
remain due and unpaid after ten (10) days from the date of the rendition
thereof, an additional charge of five percent (5%) shall be added
thereto.
E. If any bill for sewerage service shall
be and remain past due and unpaid for as long as twenty (20) days,
service to such customer shall be discontinued and shall not be reconnected
until all past due bills are paid in full, together with a reconnection
charge of fifty dollars ($50.00). It shall be the duty of the City
to notify the user of any such delinquency and said City shall proceed
immediately to cause sewer service to such customer to be discontinued.
F. Application for sewerage services shall
be made to the Clerk or other person designated by the City by the
owner or occupant of the property to be served, and upon the approval
of such application, such applicant shall have the right to connect
with the City sewerage system, all costs of such connection to be
borne by such applicant. The City may hereafter prescribe a connection
charge to be paid by any such applicant at the time of his/her application.
G. The occupant and user of the premises receiving
sewerage service and the owner of said premises shall be jointly and
severally liable to pay for such services rendered on said premises.
The City shall have power to sue the occupant or the owner, or both,
of such real estate in a civic action to receive any sums due for
such services, plus a reasonable attorney's fee to be fixed by the
court.
H. No free sewerage service shall be furnished
to any premises or the owner or occupant thereof, except to the City
itself, and in the event that the revenues derived by the City from
the sewerage system shall at any time prove insufficient to pay the
interest on and principal of the sewer and water system revenue bonds
of the City issued to construct, extend or improve such system or
any parts thereof, and to establish and maintain reasonable reserves
as provided in the ordinance authorizing the issuance of such bonds,
then the City will thereafter pay a fair and reasonable charge for
all sewerage services furnished the City or any of its departments
by the sewerage system, and such payments will continue so long as
the same may be necessary in order to prevent any default in the payment
of the interest on or principal of the sewer and water system revenue
bonds of the City or while any such default shall exist.
I. It shall be an ordinance violation for
any person to tamper with any sewer line or make any connection to
the sewerage system for the City without written permission from the
City or to reconnect service when service has been discontinued for
non-payment of a bill for service until such bill, including the reconnection
charge, has been paid in full. Upon conviction, there shall be imposed
a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).
J. The user of each premises receiving sewer
service from the sewerage system shall be held responsible for the
proper use thereof. Plumbing facilities that are to be connected to
the sewerage system shall be installed in accordance with the National
Plumbing Code and shall be inspected for compliance with said code
by a designated representative of the City before any such connection
is made. No grease, petroleum products, milk, whey, paints, acids,
chemicals, metals, animal wastes, food products or other materials
detrimental to the sanitary sewer facilities or sewage treatment processes
shall be discharged into the sanitary sewer.
[Ord. No. 1249-20, 11-23-2020]
A. In
the event a multiple unit commercial building property owner (a "landowner")
desires utility service from the City, the landowner shall be required
to have: (i) a water meter, electric meter and sewer connection for
each separate commercial space leased in the building, and included
in the monthly charges for each meter/connection will be a single
cost of service charge together with the usage charges, or (ii) enter
into a special agreement with the City whereby the building is served
by one (1) water master meter and/or electric master meter, and the
total gallons and/or kilowatts used during each billing period are
billed to the landowner who allocates the charges among the tenants,
in which case there will be included in the monthly charge for each
master meter a cost of service charge for each separate commercial
space leased together with the utility usage charges. For example,
in a strip center with four (4) separate tenants served by one (1)
master water meter, the monthly billing will include four (4) costs
of service charges for each water service for each separate tenant
plus the water usage charge on the master meter only and would also
include separate cost of service charges for sewer usage. The landowner
or the tenant who is billed for the master meter of the building with
a special agreement with the landowner for a master meter shall pay
the total of such bills for each billing period. The amount of the
water meter and electric meter deposit shall be determined by the
City as set forth in the City Code.
B. For
buildings with master meters, the number of separate tenants shall
be stated by the landowner in the special agreement. If the number
of separate tenants should change (increase or decrease) the landowner
shall report the change to the City within fifteen (15) days of such
change. If a landowner fails to correctly report the number of separate
tenants, the landowner shall promptly pay any additional cost of service
charges owed together with a penalty for the under-reporting equal
to fifteen percent (15%) of the sum due.