Each prospective customer desiring wastewater service shall
provide required billing, accounting and rate classification information
in order to obtain such service and shall pay the applicable tap fees,
deposits, and monthly charges as set forth in this article.
(Ordinance 2009-029, art. III, sec.
1, adopted 11/17/09)
The tap fees as established in article 9.04 of this code shall be collected as applicable from the applicant before the corresponding wastewater system tap or connection is made.
(Ordinance 2009-029, art. III, sec.
2, adopted 11/17/09; Ordinance
adopting Code)
(a)
Deposit required.
(1)
All new customers of the sewer utilities shall be required to pay
and maintain a security deposit in the amount of $125.00 at all times
those services are provided in the customer’s name. Customers
that made application for service during the city’s initial
phase of the wastewater system project prior to the first date of
system operation are exempt from paying a security deposit, unless
service is curtailed for late payment.
(2)
All customers requesting utility service shall personally sign the
application for services and provide verification of name and current
address for billing.
(3)
In the event any utility customer’s service is disconnected
for late payment, the city will apply the deposit to the deficiency
and require full payment of any delinquent utility account, in addition
to any reconnection fees and reinstatement of the full security deposit
prior to reinstatement and reconnection of utility services.
(4)
Security deposits shall remain with the city until termination of
services.
(b)
Application of utility deposits.
(1)
All utility deposits held with the city shall, in addition to securing
the payment for utility services received, also secure and may be
applied to any other debt or obligation owed the city by the person
or entity having made the utility deposit. The remaining balance of
any and all utility deposits collected by the city for sewer service
shall be returned to the individual who secured the deposit in his
or her name, at such time as such person terminates such utility service
with the city. The deposit will first be applied to any outstanding
utility bills, then to any additional outstanding debts to the city
and the remainder will be returned upon proper request and application.
Additional outstanding debts of the individual seeking return of a
utility deposit include but are not limited to:
(A)
Other utility services which have been provided under said person’s
name and that have an outstanding balance due and owing to the city;
(B)
Any ambulance, EMS, fire or other such city-operated services which
have bills outstanding in such person’s name;
(C)
Liens placed by the city upon any property owned by such person;
and
(D)
Any outstanding fees, charges, court costs, fines or warrants payable
by such person by virtue of any record, action, or proceeding in the
municipal court.
(2)
No interest shall accrue or be due for any security deposits for
sewer service.
(3)
A charge and fee in the amount of $25.00 annually, not to exceed
the balance of the unclaimed utility deposit, is hereby established
for each account that is required to be maintained by the city for
and with respect to services, accounts and service addresses for which
a customer abandoned or terminated utility service without contacting
the city and closing such account or terminating service, or otherwise
providing the city with a forwarding address to which the balance
of such utility deposit should be mailed. Upon any such customer entitled
to receive a refund of any such utility deposit balance contacting
the city and obtaining the refund, or the depletion of such remaining
deposit balance, the account shall be closed.
(4)
Whenever the utility department applies a deposit to any outstanding
debt or refuses to return a deposit, the individual seeking return
of a deposit held in their name may, if not satisfied with the decision
of the director of the utility department, appeal the decision to
the city manager within ten (10) days from the date of the decision.
(c)
Transfer of services.
(1)
Any existing customer requesting a transfer of any utilities must
maintain the appropriate deposit for the utility services being transferred.
Any existing deposit, less deficiencies on the existing account, will
be transferred directly to the new account. Any deficiencies in the
prior utility account will also be transferred to the new utility
account.
(2)
No customer will be allowed to transfer and maintain services without
paying all deficiencies on existing or prior utility accounts in full
and having the full deposit for utility services on deposit with the
city at the time of transfer, but not later than the next complete
billing cycle at the transfer location.
(Ordinance 2009-029, art. III, sec.
3, adopted 11/17/09)
(a)
General structure.
The wastewater rates shall consist
of a monthly customer charge per living unit equivalent (LUE). The
minimum monthly customer charge per living unit equivalent shall be
$35.00 per month times the LUE factor.
(b)
Multiple units.
Separate permanent units, including
but not limited to apartments, mobile homes, and duplexes, shall be
billed at minimum monthly customer charge rate, per LUE.
(c)
Residential service.
Customer charges for residential
wastewater service shall be assessed based upon the number of dwelling
units served times the appropriate LUE factor as shown below.
|
Dwelling Type
|
Units
|
LUE Factor
|
|---|---|---|
|
Single-family residential
|
Per housing unit
|
1.0
|
|
Two-family residential
|
Per residential unit
|
0.9
|
|
Three-family residential
|
Per residential unit
|
0.8
|
|
Multifamily residential
|
Per residential unit
|
0.7
|
(d)
Nonresidential service and residential with meters larger than 5/8
inch.
Customer charges for nonresidential wastewater
and residential with meters larger than 5/8-inch service shall be
assessed based upon the meter size and type and billed at the customer
charge per living unit equivalent times the appropriate LUE factor
as shown below.
|
Meter Size (inch)
|
Type
|
LUE Factor
|
|---|---|---|
|
5/8
|
Positive Displacement
|
1
|
|
3/4
|
Positive Displacement
|
1.5
|
|
1
|
Positive Displacement
|
2.5
|
|
1-1/2
|
Positive Displacement
|
5
|
|
2
|
Positive Displacement
|
8
|
|
2
|
Compound
|
8
|
|
2
|
Turbine
|
10
|
|
3
|
Compound
|
16
|
|
3
|
Turbine
|
24
|
|
4
|
Compound
|
25
|
|
4
|
Turbine
|
42
|
|
6
|
Compound
|
50
|
|
6
|
Turbine
|
92
|
|
8
|
Compound
|
80
|
|
8
|
Turbine
|
160
|
|
10
|
Compound
|
115
|
|
10
|
Turbine
|
250
|
|
12
|
Turbine
|
330
|
(Ordinance 2009-029, art. III, sec.
4, adopted 11/17/09)
The monthly rates and charges for sales made or services rendered
by the water system of the city are hereby established, levied, fixed
and prescribed as established by Jarrell Schwertner
Water Supply Corporation. These rates are applicable to all
sales or service of water within and outside the corporate limits
of the city.
(Ordinance 2014-10-28C adopted 10/28/14)
Sewer taps will be made for the base tap fee provided the tap
is made to a wastewater line abutting or adjacent to the lot or parcel
to be served (“standard location”). For the purposes of
this article, a tap made on a wastewater line located between the
boundary line of the property to be served and the right-of-way line
of the street or alley abutting such lot, or a line located within
the right-of-way of such street between the property boundary line
and the traveled, paved portions of the street, shall also constitute
a tap made at a “standard location.” A tap made at a “standard
location” shall be a “standard connection.” A “nonstandard
location” is any location for a tap to serve any lot, tract,
or parcel of land other than a standard location.
Additional charges and fees will be assessed and collected as
herein detailed for costs associated with line extensions and taps
made to a nonstandard location.
(1)
Availability of service.
The existence of mains, trunk
lines or other lines, near a property will not constitute an obligation
for the city to limit the tap fee or charge for making a sewer service
tap to such line, where such lines must be tapped at other than a
standard location, are inaccessible due to necessary crossing of streets,
highways, drainage channels and similar barriers, or when cost must
be incurred over and above the cost for making a tap at a standard
location. Taps at nonstandard locations must be arranged for with
the city manager in advance of the desired service date, to permit
necessary extensions, crossings or similar construction.
(2)
Installation of nonstandard connection.
Upon the approval
of the city manager, the owner or developer of a subdivision requiring
a nonstandard connection may contract with a qualified contractor
for the installation, construction and extension of any sewer line
necessary to make a nonstandard connection or as necessary for the
location for the tap to become a standard location and, in such event,
such owner or developer shall pay the reasonable costs and charges
directly to the contractor and obtain a receipt and release from said
contractor. The city shall otherwise, at the expense of the applicant
for the tap, construct all line extensions and perform all construction
required to make a sewer tap at a nonstandard location. The city engineer
or department of public works shall inspect such construction and
work to assure it is completed in compliance with the applicable rules
and regulations of the city and the state commission on environmental
quality (“TCEQ”).
(3)
Costs.
The reasonable costs and expenses for installing, constructing and extending sewer lines of the city to provide a tap at a nonstandard location, or to extend such lines to a standard location, shall be charged and collected by the city, if such costs are not paid directly by an owner/developer pursuant to subsection (2) above. Such additional costs and expenses shall be equal to the difference between the cost of making the tap at a standard location and the cost of making the tap at the nonstandard location and the costs incurred for the work and construction to extend the lines to a point or location that is a standard location for the tap.
(4)
Payment of line extension fee.
When a sewer line extension
charge is required, the city may at its option require the owner being
furnished the line to:
(A)
Deposit, in advance, the estimated costs for construction of the
sewer line that is estimated to be costs additional to a standard
connection;
(B)
Post a bond sufficient to cover the total estimated costs of line
extension; or
(C)
Provide a letter of credit sufficient to cover the total estimated
costs of the line extension.
(5)
Line extension fees outside city limits.
The costs set
out in this section shall apply for connections to property both inside
and outside the city limits.
(Ordinance 2009-029, art. III, sec.
5, adopted 11/17/09)
All customers receiving services from the city shall be subject
to the provisions of this article and shall be charged the rates established
in this article, and no reduced rate or free service shall be furnished
to any customer. It is specifically provided, however, that this provision
shall not prohibit the city, upon good cause shown, from establishing
reasonable classifications of customers for which rates differing
from the rates stated herein may be adopted, and that nothing contained
herein shall be construed to prevent the city from furnishing wastewater
services to special projects or other establishments at a bulk rate
if deemed advisable by the city.
(Ordinance 2009-029, art. III, sec.
6, adopted 11/17/09)
The city council will act as sewer committee and will hear extraordinary
situations or complaints.
(Ordinance 2009-029, art. III, sec.
8, adopted 11/17/09)
