The following words and terms, when used in this article, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Applicant.
The retail public utility providing retail water and/or sewer service within the city requesting a change in rates.
Application.
A request to change rates for the provision of retail water and/or sewer service within the city.
Area served.
That area within the corporate limits of the city served by applicant.
System.
A water and/or sewer distribution system and its associated facilities.
(Ordinance 327-11-09-13 adopted 9/13/11)
(a) 
An applicant must provide information required by this article and by other law. The application must include the information contained in section 13.03.004. An applicant may submit such additional information as it considers relevant and appropriate.
(b) 
An application shall be submitted by an applicant in duplicate originals, with one counterpart to be filed with the city manager and the other counterpart to be filed with the city secretary. If both counterparts are not filed on the same date, then the later of the submittal dates shall constitute the date of initial filing for all purposes.
(c) 
Each application and any supplement or addendum thereto shall be submitted in the form of an affidavit or have an affidavit attached thereto attested by a duly appointed agent or officer of the applicant setting forth that all information contained therein is true and correct.
(d) 
No application shall be deemed filed with the city unless and until it contains substantially all the information called for in this article. An application shall be deemed to be sufficiently complete if the city manager does not send the applicant a notice of insufficiency of the application on or before the thirtieth (30th) day following completion of the initial filing as required under subsection (a) of this section. Each such notice shall be in writing and shall specify the insufficiency with particularity. In the event such notice is given, the applicant shall have ten (10) business days within which to supplement its application to address the notice of insufficiency.
(Ordinance 327-11-09-13 adopted 9/13/11)
(a) 
For the convenience of an applicant in assembling the information required, and for the sake of the convenience of the city in interpreting the information, the city manager or his/her designee may prescribe forms and formats for the submission of the information required under this article. Each applicant shall comply with all applicable forms and formats which have been so prescribed. The city manager, or any person designated by him/her, is authorized to prepare and publish guidance to aid applicants in the preparation of an application.
(b) 
The provisions of this article shall not be construed to relieve any utility of its obligation to file with and make available to the city, or to any authorized city officer or agency, any information not specified that is required to be furnished or made available by any ordinance or other law. Furthermore, each utility shall file, furnish and make available to the city, within such time limits as may be reasonably prescribed by the city manager, all information that the city manager may from time to time lawfully request.
(Ordinance 327-11-09-13 adopted 9/13/11)
Except as expressly limited, include information required below for each type of service made subject of the application, for each system (or portion thereof) that connects to customers within the area served, and for the four-year period leading up to the date of submission of a completed application. If the water or sewer system serving within the city also serves areas outside the city, the requested information shall include the entire water or sewer system in question, providing information on a system basis and for the portion that is within the city.
(1) 
Summary information.
(A) 
A complete set of proposed tariff revisions;
(B) 
A statement specifying in detail each proposed tariff revision, the classes and numbers of utility customers affected, and the change in gross revenues (in absolute dollar amounts and in percentage terms - each by customer class and by total) that the utility expects the revised tariffs to furnish as opposed to those furnished by existing tariffs;
(C) 
A schedule comparing, under current tariffs, the income statements of the system or division for the test year and the twelve-month period immediately previous to the test year, together with a description of all substantial changes reasonably anticipated by the utility to occur during the projected fiscal year;
(D) 
A schedule comparing the capital structure of the utility for the test year and the twelve-month period immediately previous to the test year, with a description of all substantial changes reasonably anticipated by the utility to occur during the projected fiscal year. (Note: If any component of the capital of the utility is not obtained primarily through its own financing, but rather is obtained primarily from a company which controls the utility (“controlling company”), then the capital structure information shall be both for the controlling company on a consolidated basis and for the utility. If the utility controls any other companies, then the capital structure information shall be both for the utility on a consolidated basis and for the utility on an unconsolidated basis);
(E) 
A schedule showing gross plant in service of the system or division and a breakdown by functional classification of construction work in progress for the test year;
(F) 
A schedule showing forecasted construction expenditures of the system or division for the five (5) years following the test year. (Note: Such schedule shall show expenditures by year and project);
(G) 
A schedule showing the rates of return (on an actual and adjusted basis) for the test year on the original cost rate base of the system or division (thirteen-month average) and the book common equity of the utility (thirteen-month average), together with an explanation of the basis on which those rates of return were calculated; and
(H) 
A schedule in the same format as reported to stockholders, setting forth the balance sheets of the utility and the system or division at the end of the test year and at the end of the twelve-month period immediately previous to the test year.
(2) 
Rate base information.
(A) 
A schedule showing for the test year the components of the system’s or division’s original cost rate base, current cost rate base, and adjusted value rate base calculated in accordance with those weighing factors set forth in subsection (B) below;
(B) 
A schedule showing the weighing factors which the utility suggests should be used in determining the adjusted value rate base and setting forth the rationale for the use of such weighing factors;
(C) 
A schedule setting forth the following elements of the system’s or division’s plant in service accounts:
(i) 
The book dollar amount of plant in service classified by major accounts of the applicable uniform system of accounts, as of the beginning of the test year;
(ii) 
The book additions and reductions during the test year to such major accounts; and
(iii) 
The balances of such accounts at end of the test year;
(D) 
A schedule showing for each of the twelve (12) months in the test year the monthly book balance of all of the system’s or division’s plant in service, classified by production, transmission, distribution, and general in the case of water utilities, and classified by transmission, distribution and general in the case of sewer utilities;
(E) 
A schedule showing, for the system or division, gross plant in service and a breakdown by functional classification of construction work in progress for the test year, together with a description of all administrative and general expenses related to construction (including the methods and procedures followed in capitalizing interest during construction);
(F) 
A schedule showing for the system or division:
(i) 
The accumulated provisions, as of the beginning of the test year, for depreciation and amortization of plant in service classified to the extent available by production, transmission, distribution, and general in the case of water utilities, and classified by transmission, distribution and general in the case of sewer utilities;
(ii) 
The book additions and reductions to such provisions during the test year; and
(iii) 
The balance of such provisions at the end of the test year;
(G) 
A schedule showing for each of the twelve (12) months in the test year the system’s or division’s monthly book balances of the accumulated provisions for depreciation and amortization of plant in service;
(H) 
A schedule showing the determination of original and current cost of the system’s or division’s plant in service, (service life: years, months and days in service) including an explanation of the methods and calculations used in arriving at such costs;
(I) 
A schedule showing the determination of the adjustment for both age and condition of the system’s or division’s plant in service, including an explanation of the methods and calculations used;
(J) 
A schedule showing facilities under construction or included in the construction budget itemized by:
(i) 
Date in service or estimated date in service;
(ii) 
Estimated total cost;
(iii) 
Cost at the beginning and end of test year;
(iv) 
Estimated annual cost from test year end until placement in service;
(v) 
Purpose of construction (replacement or growth);
(K) 
A schedule of planned retirements by major transmission or distribution unit over the five-year period after the test year end;
(L) 
A schedule showing the computation of the utility’s allowance for funds used during construction rate; also an explanation of the utility’s policy regarding the capitalization of allowance for funds used during construction which includes limits on projects, amounts, and timing;
(M) 
A schedule showing the utility’s plant held for future use including the reason that the plant or property is being held for future use and the anticipated date such plant or property will be placed into service;
(N) 
A schedule showing the amount of construction work in progress requested by the utility at the end of the test year; such schedule shall be itemized by major project and shall show the estimated date of placement in service, location and the estimated cost of each project at the time of placement in service;
(O) 
A schedule showing the monthly balance of construction work in progress during the test year, the monthly balance used to calculate the charge to the allowance for funds used during construction during the test year, and the monthly charge to the allowance for funds used during construction during the test year;
(P) 
A schedule showing the amount of construction work in progress requested by the utility that will not increase the capacity of the applicable system or division;
(Q) 
A schedule showing the computation of the working capital allowance requested by the system or division; this schedule shall include for each of the twelve (12) months in the test year the monthly book balances during the test year for materials and supplies (excluding appliances), and prepayments;
(R) 
A schedule listing the banking and depository institutions from which records can be supplied to compute the total daily bank balances by day for the test year, including cash, special deposits, working funds, and temporary cash investments;
(S) 
A copy of a lead-lag study and supporting workpapers which may have been performed and used by the utility in requesting its proposed working capital allowance;
(T) 
A schedule showing the balance of the unamortized investment tax credit, showing remaining balances generated before 1971 and since 1971;
(U) 
A schedule showing the vintage years and balance by vintage year that are included in the utility’s unamortized investment tax credits;
(V) 
A schedule showing the monthly balance of customer deposits and the associated interest for each month during the test year;
(W) 
A schedule showing the monthly balance of contributions in aid of construction and customer advances during the test year and an explanation regarding the treatment of these items in the utility’s rate application;
(X) 
If applicable, a schedule showing the utility’s annual accruals and charges against the insurance reserves for the past five (5) years, including an explanation of when and how the insurance reserves were established and how the annual accrual amount was established;
(Y) 
An explanation of the purpose of receivables from associated companies and payables to associated companies, where applicable;
(Z) 
A schedule showing the amount and details of any transactions related to property, plant and equipment between the utility and any subsidiary or any other utility; and
(AA) 
A schedule showing the percentage overall rate of return requested by the utility on the original cost rate base, current cost rate base, and adjusted value rate base and the general reasons and justifications for the requested rate of return in narrative form.
(3) 
Cost of capital information.
If any component of the capital of the utility is not obtained primarily through its own financing, but rather is obtained primarily from a company which controls the utility (“controlling company”), then the cost of capital information submitted hereunder shall be both for the controlling company on a consolidated basis and for the utility. If the utility controls any other companies, then the cost of capital information submitted hereunder shall be both for the utility on a consolidated basis and for the utility on an unconsolidated basis.
(A) 
A schedule showing the capitalization of the utility (and controlling company, if any) at the end of the test year and the latest date available (broken down by the following components: Short-term debt, long-term debt, preferred equity, and common equity), all pro forma adjustments to the capitalization (with supporting details), the cost of each component of capitalization, and the weighted overall cost of capital;
(B) 
A schedule showing, for each series of the utility’s (and the controlling company’s, if any) long-term debt outstanding at the end of the test year and the latest date available, the following information:
(i) 
Title of the debt issue;
(ii) 
Date of issuance and date of maturity;
(iii) 
Interest rate;
(iv) 
Principal amount of issue and gross proceeds;
(v) 
Underwriter’s discount or commission and amount;
(vi) 
Issuance expense including amount, percent gross proceeds, net proceeds and net proceeds per unit;
(vii) 
Cost of money: yield to maturity based on the interest rate and net proceeds per unit outstanding determined by reference to any generally accepted table of bond yields;
(viii) 
A description of the projects and their locations funded with the debt;
(ix) 
Current amortization schedules for all capital outlays and debt issuances;
(x) 
If the issue is owned by an affiliate of the utility (or the controlling company, if any), state the name of the affiliate and its relationship to the utility (and the controlling company, if any); and
(xi) 
If the utility (or the controlling company, if any) has acquired at a discount or premium some part of the outstanding debt which could be used in meeting sinking fund requirements or for other reasons, it shall show the annual amortization of the discount or premium for each series of debt from the date of acquisition over the remaining life of the debt being retired and shall separately show the total remaining or unamortized discount and premium, as a result of such amortization, applicable to the test year;
(C) 
A schedule showing the monthly balances of short-term debt, excluding the current portion of long-term debt, for the utility (or controlling company, if any), during the test year and the latest date available, including the following information:
(i) 
Title of the issue and lender name (bank loan, commercial paper, etc.);
(ii) 
Date of issuance and maturity;
(iii) 
Interest rate;
(iv) 
Principal amount of issue;
(v) 
Compensating balance, if any, including the supporting compensating balance agreement; and
(vi) 
Interest expense including the cost of money computed as the interest rate divided by net proceeds per unit outstanding; if the issue is owned by an affiliate of the utility (or the controlling company, if any), then the name of the affiliate, its relationship to the utility (and the controlling company, if any) and an explanation of the method of determining the interest rate shall be stated;
(vii) 
A description of the projects and their locations funded with the debt;
(viii) 
Current amortization schedules capital outlays and debt issuances;
(D) 
A schedule showing for each class and series of preferred and preference stock of the utility (and the controlling company, if any) outstanding at the end of the test year and the latest date available, the following information:
(i) 
Title of the stock issue;
(ii) 
Date of issuance;
(iii) 
If callable, the call price;
(iv) 
If convertible, the terms of conversion;
(v) 
Par or stated amount of issue and gross proceeds;
(vi) 
Underwriter’s discount or commission and amount;
(vii) 
Issuance expenses including amount, percent gross proceeds, net proceeds and net proceeds per unit;
(viii) 
Cost of money: dividend rate divided by net proceeds per unit;
(ix) 
Whether the issue was offered to stockholders through subscription right or to the public; and
(x) 
If the issue is owned by the affiliate to the utility (or the controlling company, if any), state the name of the affiliate and its relationship to the utility (and the controlling company, if any);
(E) 
A schedule showing the details of any anticipated financing of the utility (and controlling company, if any) over the twelve-month period immediately succeeding the test year, including:
(i) 
Title of the issue;
(ii) 
Date of issuance and maturity, if applicable;
(iii) 
Interest or dividend rate, if applicable;
(iv) 
Principal amount of issue;
(v) 
Discount, premium, and debt expense, if applicable; and
(vi) 
Cost of money, where applicable;
(F) 
A schedule showing the utility’s (or controlling company’s, if any) yearly high and low common stock prices for the ten (10) years preceding the test year, where applicable;
(G) 
A schedule showing the utility’s (or controlling company’s, if any) monthly high and low common stock prices during the test year, where applicable;
(H) 
A schedule showing the computation of the utility’s (and the controlling company’s, if any) times interest earned ratio and fixed charge coverage ratio (by Securities and Exchange Commission method) before and after taxes for the actual test year and for the test year adjusted to take into account all pro forma adjustments and the requested revenue increase; and
(I) 
A schedule providing a summary of the utility’s (and the controlling company’s, if any) debt instrument fixed charge requirements plus any other pertinent information (such as restrictions) pertaining to the issuance of the debt.
(4) 
Income information.
(A) 
A schedule setting forth for the utility and the relevant system or division, the test year income statement, all pro forma adjustments to the test year income statement, and an adjusted test year income statement taking into account such pro forma adjustments;
(B) 
A schedule showing the details of all pro forma adjustments to the test year income statements referred to in subsection (A) above, with a full explanation of the methods and calculations on which said pro forma adjustments are based;
(C) 
A schedule setting forth monthly detailed net income statements of the utility, and the relevant system or division, for the test year, showing revenues by customer class and showing detailed operating expenses;
(D) 
An annual schedule of detailed operating expenses, by line item, for the system, for the test year.
(E) 
A schedule showing actual sales by month (1,000/gal and revenue) of the utility by customer classification for the twelve (12) months during the test year and projected annual sales (units and dollars) for the next three (3) years subsequent to the test year end;
(F) 
A schedule showing the number of active customer accounts by customer classification of the utility by month during the test year and the projected annual number of customers by customer classification for the period subsequent to the test year end during which the requested rates are to be in effect;
(G) 
A schedule showing utility personnel, by department for the utility for the three (3) years prior to the test year end, during the test year, and budgeted for the period subsequent to the test year end during which the requested rates are to be in effect; total compensation levels for all employees who operate or administer the system and an estimate of the amount of each employee’s professional time that is devoted to servicing the system.
(H) 
The utility’s current and proposed wage contracts, where applicable;
(I) 
A schedule showing rate case expenses incurred at the time of the filing and estimated rate case expenses for the utility and outside expert witnesses; the schedule should itemize:
(i) 
The salary, expenses and allocations thereof to the filing for each expert retained (other than a regular salaried employee of the utility), whether such person is expected to testify upon the hearing of the rate case or not;
(ii) 
All materials and supplies cost;
(iii) 
Any other costs associated with the filing preparation and hearings;
(J) 
A schedule reconciling book net income of the utility with taxable net income as reported to the Internal Revenue Service for the most recent year for which a tax return was filed and the previous three (3) years;
(K) 
A schedule showing the tax computation for the relevant system or division of the utility during the test year and all supporting workpapers;
(L) 
A schedule showing the computation of consolidated income taxes for the utility and for the controlling company, if any, during test year operations;
(M) 
A schedule showing a reconciliation of the treatment of allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC) for both book and tax purposes for the utility during the test year; this schedule shall be accompanied by a narrative explanation;
(N) 
A schedule showing the depreciation rates used by the utility in its filing classified by major plant accounts;
(O) 
A schedule indicating for the utility the date of the most recent change in depreciation lives and studies supporting such a change in depreciable asset lives and corresponding depreciation rates;
(P) 
A schedule showing the computation of the incremental gross revenue conversion factor for the relevant system or division;
(Q) 
A schedule showing the amounts expended by or allocated to the utility and the relevant system or division during the test year, with the corresponding amount for: business gifts, entertainment, charitable or civic contributions, membership in social, recreational, fraternal or religious clubs or organizations, institutional advertising, conversational advertising, consumption-inducing advertising, and other advertising;
(R) 
A schedule showing the amounts expended by or allocated to the utility and the relevant system or division (other than salary or wages subject to withholding of federal income tax) for:
(i) 
Legal representation in Texas;
(ii) 
Representation before the Texas Legislature;
(iii) 
Representation before any other governmental agency or body in Texas;
(iv) 
Representation before any federal governmental agency or body;
Note: This statement shall include the actual expense for the test year, with any adjustments for known changes, and the actual expenses for the last odd-numbered calendar year; and
(S) 
A schedule showing the net income or loss resulting from the sale or lease by the utility, and the relevant system or division, of appliances, fixtures, equipment, or other merchandise.
(5) 
Rate design information.
(A) 
A schedule showing for the utility, and the relevant system or division, the following test year information for each customer class:
(i) 
The designation of the class;
(ii) 
The total number of customers of the class by month;
(iii) 
The total consumption in 1,000 gal of the customer class by month; and
(iv) 
The total revenues derived from customers of the class by month;
(B) 
A schedule showing for the relevant system or division and for the test year a bill frequency or other analysis showing consumption and number of bills at each rate and for each customer class for which the utility maintains such records in the normal course of business;
(C) 
A schedule showing the utility’s current and proposed rates of return by customer class under the allocation methods proposed by the company; provided, however, if the utility has a cost of service study on file with the city, then this schedule may be omitted; (Note: the utility shall make available to the city manager all relevant workpapers used to derive such rates);
(D) 
A schedule showing all regional pass-thru mandatory costs incurred by the utility specific to the system, including but not limited to purchase water charges, pumping fees or groundwater assessment fees that are assessed by governmental authorities or other third-parties.
(E) 
A schedule showing the following utility statistics for the past five (5) years from the test year end and subsequent period during which the requested rates are to be in effect:
(i) 
Consumptions (1,000 gal) by class by month;
(ii) 
Number of customers by month by class;
(iii) 
Number of customers by class by meter size;
(iv) 
System demand by month;
(v) 
Water pumped by month for any and all wells serving the system;
(vi) 
Water purchased to serve the system including monthly volumes, monthly total cost and cost/1,000 gal for each identified seller;
(vii) 
Water losses with break outs of percentages flushed, leaked, stolen or any other source of water loss by month;
(viii) 
Where applicable, cooling and heating degree days by month, both normal and actual;
(ix) 
Actual peak per year by class;
(6) 
Expert testimony.
The utility shall submit two (2) copies of the testimony and reports, if any, of company representatives and outside expert witnesses used to support such filing.
(7) 
Additional information upon request.
(A) 
An applicant shall make available any or all of the following information to the city manager or his/her designee for inspection or copying upon written request therefor:
(i) 
Current and detailed system maps of facilities that, in whole or in part, serve the area served;
(ii) 
Annual inspection reports filed by applicant to the TCEQ (or other regulatory body) addressing the area served;
(iii) 
Any deficiencies reports produced for the area served and applicant’s responses to same;
(iv) 
Customer complaints about any aspect of applicant’s service within the area served;
(v) 
Total actual dollars of un-collectable accounts for customers within the area served, by customer class;
(vi) 
Documents detailing the acquisition/price paid by applicant (or any of predecessor) for the system(s) within the area served, the associated number of accounts acquired, the date(s) of closing and the seller(s) of the system(s);
(vii) 
Supporting studies, workpapers, or documentation relied upon by each representative or witness in the presentation of his testimony;
(viii) 
The utility’s books of original entry including the general ledger, subledgers, journals, balance sheets, operating income statements, and monthly trial balances by primary account number, for each month during the test year;
(ix) 
All workpapers used to derive the utility’s adjusted value of invested capital which were not included in the filing package; and
(x) 
All workpapers used to derive the utility’s test year adjusted operating income which were not included in the filing package.
(B) 
Applicant shall also make its plants, equipment and other properties or any portion thereof available for inspection by the city manager or his/her representative.
(Ordinance 327-11-09-13 adopted 9/13/11)