[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017[1]]
It is determined and declared to be necessary and conducive to the protection and preservation of public health, safety and welfare and for the purpose of preventing or abating the pollution of water, to fix and maintain rates and make and collect charges for the use and services of the City's facilities, for the benefit of which revenue bonds were issued, sufficient to pay the cost of maintenance and operation thereof, to pay the principal of and the interest on all revenue bonds issued by the City chargeable to the revenues of the system, and to provide funds ample to meet all valid and reasonable requirements of the ordinance or resolution by which such revenue bonds have been issued. In addition, it is determined by the City necessary to establish, make and collect charges for sewerage services, including tap-on or sewer connection fees, which permitted charges shall be in addition to those charges which may be levied and collected for operating, maintenance, repair and administration, and retiring the debt service for such public wastewater facilities.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Chapter 715, User Charges, containing Sections 715.010 through Section 715.140, was repealed 7-11-2017 by Ord. No. 580.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this Chapter shall be as follows:
APPROVED METER
A displacement or turbine type cold water meter manufactured and operating in compliance with AWWA C700 or C701 and which can provide an accurate measurement of water usage by a Patron upon which a sewer bill may, at least in part, be calculated. Approved meter will also mean a meter meeting the standards of the City of Pacific that provides water service to such Property, or a sewage flow meter compliant with the National Bureau of Standards, USEPA, or the AWWA Standards.
BASE CHARGE or BASE RATE
The minimum charge amount of charges imposed and billed by the City, expressed as a per Patron monthly average, and which are required to pay fixed annual expenses of the City which are unrelated to treatment of Wastewater, including without limitation, maintenance, repair and administration, and debt service expenses, as mandated by Missouri Statute.
BOD (denoting BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND)
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five (5) days at twenty degrees Celsius (20° C.) expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/l).
CITY
The City of Belle.
COMMERCIAL PATRON
A non-residential Patron whose use of or contribution of Wastewater to the City's public sewer system arises or originates from a separate and distinct structure or facility utilized or operated as a business enterprise, non-profit or charitable endeavor, or other non-residential use (also referred to as "Commercial Property") whereby the characteristics of the generated Wastewater is Normal Domestic Wastewater.
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
Property utilized or operated as a business enterprise, non-profit or charitable endeavor, or other non-residential use generating Normal Domestic Wastewater. "Commercial Property," includes, but is not limited to, Property used for hotels, motels, restaurants, stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, car washes, storage units, resorts, malls, shopping centers, theaters, country clubs, office buildings or churches.
CONTRIBUTED WASTEWATER VOLUME
A definable quantity of wastewater produced and discharged from Property.
CONTRIBUTOR
A person or entity who contributes Wastewater to the City's Facilities.
DEVELOPER
Any separate and distinct individual or entity whom the City may recognize as such and with whom the City may reach and make agreements from time to time, as permitted by Missouri Statutes, with respect to sewerage systems, the Facilities, rates and charges, and other rules, ordinances and regulations of the City, concerning a separate and distinct Development.
DEVELOPMENT
A separate and distinct planned area of building and construction for residential or commercial purposes, including without limitation the construction of sewerage system infrastructure, which is comprised of more than one (1) residential or commercial building or structure and located within a solitary and contiguous area or tract of real property which is owned by a Developer.
FACILITIES
Any devices and systems for the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage, domestic sewage, or liquid industrial wastes. These include interceptor sewers, outfall sewers, sewage collection systems, individual systems, pumping, power, and other equipment and their appurtenances, extensions, improvements, 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 land that will be an integral part of the treatment process or is used for ultimate disposal of residues resulting from such treatment 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.
HOUSEHOLD EQUIVALENT
Shall be defined as the equivalent waste load of an average Residential household. This shall be defined as 1.0 household equivalent as determined per 10 CSR 20-8.020(11)(B)(3) and 10 CSR 20-8.020(11)(B)(4) of the Missouri Code of State Regulations, and as determined per Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Public Drinking Water Program, Design Guide for Community Water Systems, Chapter 1, Section 1.1.2.d.3, and as provided in Appendix A (held on file in the City offices).
INDUSTRIAL CONTRIBUTOR
A Contributor whose use of or contribution of Wastewater to the City's Facilities arises or originates from a separate and distinct structure or facility utilized or operated as a business enterprise or other non-residential use whereby the Wastewater is primarily generated from an industrial process discharging non-domestic Wastewater which may be toxic or unusually strong conventional wastes and which may require pretreatment prior to discharging to the public sewer system.
MAY
An action or requirement that is permissive or discretionary.
NORMAL DOMESTIC WASTEWATER
Wastewater that has concentrations of not more than:
BOD5
< 300 mg/l
TSS
< 300 mg/l
Oil and Grease
< 100 mg/L
NH3 - N
< 30 mg/L
TKN
< 40 mg/L
Total P
< 10 mg/L
Dissolved Sulfides
< 0.5 mg/L
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSE OR COST
All expenditures during the useful life of the Facilities 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.
PROPERTY
The real property being served by the City or the City's Facilities or which is otherwise subject to the imposition of any determined Wastewater Service Charge or Wastewater Usage Charge, or which is subject to any other of the provisions of this Chapter, and shall include the land and improvements made upon any such real property.
REPLACEMENT EXPENSE OR COST
Expenditures made for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories, or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the Facilities to maintain the capacity and performance for which such works were designed and constructed. The term "Operation and Maintenance Expense" includes Replacement Expense.
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY or RESIDENTIAL CONTRIBUTOR
A contributor whose use of the Facilities of the City or whose contribution of Wastewater to the Facilities of the City arises or originates from a lot, parcel of real property, or building that is utilized for domestic dwelling purposes only. All other users shall be considered "non-residential Contributors."
SEWAGE
Refer to domestic, municipal, or industrial liquid waste products disposed of, usually via a pipe or sewer or similar structure, and Sewage is the subset of Wastewater that is contaminated with feces or urine, but is often used to mean any Wastewater.
SEWER CONNECTION FEE (also SCF)
A connection fee or tap-on fee imposed and collected by the City prior to any connection made to the Facilities of the City to allow for use of or contribution of Wastewater to the Facilities of the City.
SHALL
An action or requirement that is mandatory; "May" is permissive.
TREATMENT WORKS
Any devices and systems for the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage, domestic sewage, or liquid industrial wastes. These include interceptor sewers, outfall sewers, sewage collection systems, individual systems, pumping, power, and other equipment and their appurtenances; extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions, and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a reliable recycled supply such as standby treatment units and clean well facilities; and any works, including site acquisition of 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 sanitary sewer systems.
TSS (denoting TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS)
The 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.
UNMETERED RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Residential Property which is not connected to an Approved Meter.
USAGE CHARGE
That portion of the total Wastewater Service Charge which is levied in a proportional and adequate manner sufficient to pay the Operation and Maintenance Expense and Cost and the Replacement Expense and Cost of the Facilities, as shall be mandated from time to time by the provisions of State and Federal law.
USEFUL LIFE
The estimated period during which the Facilities, or a particular portion thereof, will be operated.
USER ACCOUNT
Each separate account to and for which a bill for Wastewater User Charges is issued by the City.
VOLUME CHARGE
That portion of the total Wastewater Service Charge comprised of the charge established, accessed and billed to each User Account by the City based on the Contributed Wastewater Volume.
WASTEWATER
Is any water-borne wastes emanating from Property together with such groundwater, surface water, or storm water, whereby the water has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence and which enters into a Wastewater system, including the Facilities of the City. It is comprised of liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, and industry and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations. In the most common usage, it refers to the Wastewater that contains a broad spectrum of contaminants resulting from the mixing of Wastewaters from different sources.
WASTEWATER SERVICE CHARGE or WASTEWATER USER CHARGE
The aggregate of the Usage Charge and the Volume Charge.
WATER CLOSET
A flush toilet that disposes human liquid and solid waste by using water to flush it through a drainpipe to another location for disposal. The sanitary fixture is distinctly different from a urinal. Water closets incorporate an "S," "U," "J," or "P" shaped bend that causes the water in the toilet bowl to collect and act as a seal against sewer gases. A flush toilet must have the drain pipe connected to a waste conveyance and a wastewater treatment system. A water closet may be euphemistically called a bog, a pot, a loo, a john, a head, or simply a toilet.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
A. 
The Usage Charge shall generate adequate annual revenues to pay the costs of annual operation and maintenance including replacement and cost (the "Operation and Maintenance Expense and Cost" and the "Replacement Expense and Cost" of the "Facilities") associated with debt retirement of bonded capital associated with financing the Facilities which the City may by ordinance designate to be paid by the Usage Charge. Among other things, this Chapter establishes that portion which is designated for operation and maintenance including replacement of the Facilities.
B. 
That portion of the total user charge collected which is designated for the 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 inept in two (2) primary accounts as follows:
1. 
The Operation and Maintenance Account shall be an account designated for the specific purpose of defraying operation and maintenance costs (excluding replacement) of the treatment works. Deposits in the Operation and Maintenance Account shall be made monthly (at least annually) from the operation and maintenance revenue.
2. 
The Replacement Account shall be an account designated for the purpose of ensuring replacement needs over the useful life of the treatment works. Deposits in the Replacement Account shall be made monthly (at least annually) from the replacement revenue.
C. 
All interest accrued by the various accounts will be utilized for the operation and maintenance of the City. Any account that pays more interest than the City is paying in interest to the bondholders shall be brought to the attention of the City's accounting firm. Promulgated rules shall be maintained and observed so that adequate safeguards are in place to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service.
D. 
Fiscal year-end balances in all accounts shall be carried over to the same accounts in the subsequent fiscal year, and shall be used for no other purposes than those designated for these accounts. Monies which have been transferred by the Board of Aldermen from one account(s) to another, in an effort to meet temporary shortages, will be transferred back to the original accounts as soon as funds are available. Every effort will be made to see that any temporary movement of funds between accounts is accomplished within the same fiscal year.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
A. 
Sewer User Charge Rates. Each user shall pay for the services provided by the City based on their use of the treatment works as determined by water meter(s) acceptable to the City. The costs of operation and maintenance for all flow not directly attributable to users shall be distributed equally among the users.
B. 
Base User Charge Rates. The minimum charge per month shall be twenty-eight dollars and forty cents ($28.40). In addition, each contributor shall pay an additional user charge for operation and maintenance including replacement of sixty cents ($0.60) per one thousand (1,000) gallons of water used.
C. 
User Surcharge. Any user discharging any toxic pollutants which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge from the City's treatment works, or any user which discharges any substance which singly or by interaction with other substances causes identifiable increases in the cost of operation, maintenance, or replacement of the treatment works, shall pay for such increased costs. The charge to each such user shall be as determined by the Water and Wastewater Commissioner and approved by the Board of Aldermen. Unless otherwise determined for contributors which contribute wastewater, the strength of which is greater than normal domestic sewage, a surcharge in addition to the normal user charge will be collected as follows:
$0.68 per pound BOD5
$0.54 per pound TSS
$0.54 per pound O&G
D. 
Sewerage Service Charge Penalties. Since high strength wastewater can inhibit the wastewater collection and treatment processes, the costs per pound shall increase as a penalty if the pollutant concentration increases above a lower level limit as follows:
Pollutant Increase
Costs per Pound
Net Result
0 — 25% increase
0% increase
Surcharge + no penalty
26 — 50% increase
100% increase
Surcharge + 100% penalty
51 — 75% increase
150% increase
Surcharge + 150% penalty
Over 75% increase
300% increase
Surcharge + 300% penalty
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
A. 
All users shall be billed monthly, unless otherwise approved by the Board of Aldermen. All bills for utility services furnished by the City shall be due and payable prior to 5:00 P.M. on the fifth day of the month following the billing.
B. 
In the event any consumer of utility services furnished by the City shall fail to pay his/her bill thereof when the same is due, a ten percent (10%) penalty shall be imposed. In the event bills for utility services shall not be paid when the same become due, the City shall have the right to disconnect and discontinue all utility services furnished by the City to the consumer so in arrears.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
A. 
General Provisions. Each Contributor shall pay for any sewer services provided by the City or for any contribution of Wastewater made to the City's Facilities, as determined by Ordinance. The rates established in this Section apply to all Contributors of the City's Facilities. Rates and the resultant user fees are not appealable.
1. 
To determine the Winter Average for residential users, water meter usage information acceptable to the City for the consecutive months of January and February, shall be obtained and considered. The Winter Average monthly water amounts will be adjusted only once per year.
2. 
No discount shall be provided for prepayment of any Wastewater Service Charges.
a. 
No cash refunds will be made for prepayments.
b. 
Should a prepayment be made that carries a balance beyond the next fiscal year, any revised Wastewater Service Charges will be applicable to the prepayment balance.
3. 
A Residential user establishing service with the City for the first time, an existing Residential user making application for services at a new Residential Property within the City, or a former Residential user establishing service at a Residential Property within the City, may be permitted to have the Winter Average determined utilizing prior water usage or consumption information, subject to the conditions set forth below.
a. 
To be considered by the City, the prior water usage or consumption information must be verified by the official records of the City, a public water supply district provider, a municipality water provider, or a private water supply provider. Such information must clearly reveal that the prior water services were provided to the same Residential user now making application for services with the City. The City, in its sole discretion, shall be permitted to verify the prior water usage information and to determine its applicability to the present Winter Average determination. A maximum of twelve (12) months previous prior water usage may be considered if provided.
b. 
If no prior water usage information is available, or if the same is not sufficient to allow the City to determine the present Winter Average, then the initial monthly water usage information to be utilized in determining the Volume Charge for a Residential user establishing service with the City for the first time, an existing Residential user making application for services at a new Residential Property within the City, or a former Residential user establishing service at a Residential Property within the City, shall be made by applying the provisions of the first Subsection applicable of Subsection (B) of this Section.
c. 
If the initial monthly water usage information is determined by applying the provisions of Subsection (A)(3)(b) of this Section, a contributor shall be permitted to request an adjustment to such determination by submitting actual water usage measurements as measured by an Approved Meter for the first three (3) full consecutive months at the Property where service has been established. The average of the three (3) months of water usage shall thereafter be utilized for the monthly water usage amount until such time that an annual Winter Average can be calculated. The adjustment will be applicable for the next full month's bill going forward. No credits, refunds, or back charges are applicable for past billings.
4. 
A Commercial/Industrial user establishing service with the City for the first time, an existing Commercial/Industrial user making application for services at a new Property within the City, or a former Commercial/Industrial user establishing service at a Property within the City, may be permitted to utilize prior water usage or consumption information, subject to the conditions set forth below.
a. 
To be considered by the City, the prior water usage or consumption information must be verified by the official records of the City, a public water supply district provider, a municipality water provider, or a private water supply provider. Such information must clearly reveal that the prior water services were provided to the same Commercial/Industrial user now making application for services with the City. The City, in its sole discretion, shall be permitted to verify the prior water usage information. A maximum of twelve (12) months previous prior water usage may be considered if provided.
b. 
If no prior water usage information is available, or if the same is not sufficient to allow the City to determine the Volume Charge for a Commercial/Industrial user establishing service with the City for the first time, then the first months volume water usage shall be made by applying the provisions of Subsection (B) of this Section.
B. 
Fees; Determination Of Wastewater Service Charge. The applicable Wastewater Service Charges to be charged to users shall be determined by utilizing the following described billing methodologies.
1. 
Residential Property. Any Residential Property shall be connected to an approved Meter which shall be installed and maintained at the user's expense. Each Residential Property shall be charged a Base Charge and a Volume Charge as determined by the application of the provisions set forth in Appendix A (held on file in the City offices) and as further provided in this Section. Water usage shall be based on monthly meter readings.
2. 
Commercial/Industrial Property. Any Commercial/Industrial Property shall be connected to an Approved Meter which shall be installed and maintained at the user's expense. Each Commercial/Industrial Property shall be charged a Base Charge and a Volume Charge as determined by the application of the provisions set forth in Appendix A (held on file in the City offices) and as further provided in this Section. Water usage shall be based on monthly meter readings.
C. 
For purposes of the preparation of the annual budget of the City, including determining issues of replacement of capital assets, fixtures and infrastructure, reference is made to Appendices B and C attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference thereto and which are held on file in the City offices.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
Matters and issues involving payments, invoices, payment defaults, late fees, disconnections, and payment hardship cases, shall be determined and administered in the manner provided in the City's then existing and applicable ordinances or policies concerning such matters, all of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
A. 
The City shall review the user charge system annually 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. Changes to the rates and fund accounting amounts established herein may be made by resolution or ordinance and adjusted no more often that once per year.
B. 
The City will notify each user at least annually in conjunction with a regular bill of any change in the rate being charged for operation and maintenance including replacement of the treatment works.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
Any charges or fees to be assessed and collected by the City, other than those expressly provided for in this Chapter, shall be determined and administered in the manner provided in the City's then existing and applicable ordinances and policies concerning such matters, all of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
Applications for service shall be made in full compliance with any then-existing service application policy enacted by the City, the same being incorporated herein by reference thereto.
[Ord. No. 580, 7-11-2017]
The Board of Aldermen shall have authority to adopt such additional regulations and interpretation hereof as necessary to implement the purpose and effect of these Sections.