A. 
At the time when an applicant applies for a side sewer permit to the building department or the county, the applicant shall pay to the city the sewer connection charges as set forth in SMC § 13.04.380.
B. 
There shall be a $150.00 fee for the application and issuance of the permit by the city; however, if the city does not issue a permit, the sewer connection charges, or any part thereof which has been paid, shall be refunded.
(Ord. 627 § 1, 1989; Ord. 1187 § 6, 2017)
A. 
General.
1. 
There shall be a charge for each side sewer connection in such amount as city council shall from time to time establish by ordinance.
2. 
The city shall collect connection charges in order that each connecting property shall bear its equitable share of the cost of the public sewer system.
3. 
The connection charges collectible pursuant to this section shall be waived for any side sewer connection within the Snoqualmie Ridge 1 and 2 Planning Areas as shown on Figure 7.2 of the city's comprehensive plan, Snoqualmie 2032, unless the side sewer connection is requested for any of the purposes set forth in subsections (B)(2) through (4) of this section, in which case the applicable connection charges shall not be waived.
B. 
A new customer is:
1. 
Any customer requesting a new sewer service; and/or
2. 
Any customer adding to the number of units or fixtures served by an existing sewer service in the city's service area; and/or
3. 
Any customer seeking to change customer classification; and/or
4. 
Any customer seeking a change in the size or number of water meters providing service to the customer's property.
C. 
Customer Class. Customer classes shall be:
1. 
Single-family residential, a unit served by a single water meter including manufactured (mobile) homes;
2. 
Duplex family residential equals one unit each side;
3. 
Multifamily residential, more than two units served by one water meter, including apartments, trailer parks and RV parks; and
4. 
Commercial, including transient residential (e.g., motels and hotels) and schools.
D. 
Connection charges shall be paid:
1. 
Before the city issues a side sewer permit and a property is allowed to connect to the public sewer system; and/or
2. 
At the time of development/redevelopment of the property, if connection charges apply that have not yet been paid, such as charges for new facilities that directly benefit the property.
3. 
Connection charges that have been paid as a result of prior development activities or through participation in a LID or ULID shall not be reassessed.
4. 
The city may enter into contracts with property owners of single-family homes and with the owners of development projects that meet criteria specified by the utility for payment of connection charges over time instead of as a lump sum. Such connection may be paid immediately or shall be paid as follows:
a. 
One-fourth at the issuance of the permit;
b. 
The balance in three equal annual installments on the anniversary date of the issuance of the permit;
c. 
The balance of the connection charge shall bear interest at 12 percent per year, and shall be a lien against the property;
d. 
In the event the owners fail to pay any installment when due, the entire balance shall become immediately due and payable. A penalty of 10 percent of the remaining balance shall be imposed as an administrative fee and the balance and penalty shall thereafter bear interest at 12 percent per year, and the city attorney may immediately file a lien with the King County auditor and shall, after the lien has been delinquent for four months, file a lien with the King County auditor.
E. 
Connection charges shall include:
1. 
Direct facilities charges, if applicable as defined in SMC § 13.04.382.
2. 
Sewer general facilities charges as defined in SMC § 13.04.384.
3. 
Latecomer's agreements, if applicable as defined in SMC § 13.04.386.
(Ord. 1187 § 7, 2017)
A. 
The utility shall collect direct facilities charges from property owners that directly benefit from the city sewer system utility built or privately built sewer facilities, except property owners who previously paid their fair share through an LID or ULID.
B. 
The direct facilities charge is the property owner's equitable share of the established costs of the sewer facilities he/she benefits from, regardless of whether those sewer facilities were constructed by the city or a private party. The equitable share shall include interest charges applied from the date of construction acceptance of the facility until the property connects, or for a period not to exceed 10 years, whichever is less, at a rate commensurate with the rate of interest applicable at the time of construction of the facility to which the property owner is seeking to connect but not to exceed 10 percent per year; provided, that the aggregate amount of interest shall not exceed the equitable share of the cost of the facility allocated to such property owner.
C. 
The facilities' costs shall be allocated to benefitting property owners based on the number of equivalent residential units ("ERUs") single-family equivalents. The director may, however, make such allocation based on front footage or other reasonably based methodology if the director determines that such alternate basis or methodology better assures equitable sharing of cost by all properties benefitting from the facilities.
D. 
Administrative Procedures – Adjustment of Charges. The director is authorized to adopt administrative procedures for the purpose of administering the provisions of this section, and to adjust the charges established by subsections A and B of this section from time to time to reflect the actual cost of the facilities for which the charges are made.
(Ord. 1187 § 8, 2017)
A. 
The general facilities charge ("GFC") is a charge imposed upon a new customer to recover the customer's equitable share of the cost of the system and is used for funding construction of future general facilities.
B. 
Each new customer shall pay the general facilities charge for the customer class in effect on the date of application for service or change of service as provided herein.
C. 
A potential customer who holds a certificate of sewer availability, but who has not yet connected the development for which the certificate was issued to the sewer system, shall pay the general facilities charge prior to connecting the development to the city sewer system.
D. 
The 2021 GFC shall be imposed upon all new customers, regardless of customer class, on a per-equivalent residential unit "ERU" basis, as follows:
Customer Class
ERU Factor
General Facilities Charge
1 SF residential unit
1.00
$8,354
10-unit MF building
10.00
$83,540
E. 
Beginning on January 1, 2022, and on January 1st of each year thereafter, the 2021 sewer GFC shall be increased based on the changes in the Engineering News-Record construction cost index for the Seattle area as determined the prior December.
F. 
For purposes of calculating a sewer general facilities charge only, an ERU is equal to 138 gallons per day of water use during non-peak season.
G. 
Changes to Service.
1. 
Any customers seeking to increase the size of the water meter serving the customer's property shall pay, at the time of submittal of the application for the new, increased meter, an additional general facility charge in an amount equal to the difference between the general facility charge credit for its currently sized meter and the ERU basis previously paid to the city, plus the applicable general facility charge amount due for the proposed new, increased meter size.
2. 
Any customer seeking to or who does change his/her customer classification shall pay the general facility charge for the new customer classification in effect on the date the application for change is made; provided, that the customer will receive a credit up to the amount of general facility charge previously paid.
H. 
The general facilities charge is a charge in addition to the charge for new service connections. The general facilities charge is not a charge or payment in lieu of any utility local improvement district assessment, latecomer fee, main extension cost, or direct facilities charge. This charge is imposed in addition to any charge for cost of connection.
I. 
Funds received pursuant to the general facilities charge shall be used for capital improvement projects undertaken to construct general facilities and payment of debt service on capital improvement projects. Funds received from the general facilities charge shall be accounted for in the utilities capital improvement fund and/or in the utilities debt service redemption funds of the city. Interest earned from the investment of such funds shall be used for capital improvements.
(Ord. 1187 § 9, 2017; Ord. 1248 § 1, 2021)
A. 
General. The utility may enter into any contracts authorized by Chapter 35.91 RCW, the Municipal Water and Sewer Facilities Act, including contracts which provide for the reimbursement of property owners constructing public facilities, commonly known as latecomer agreements.
B. 
Requesting a Latecomer Agreement. A property owner may request a latecomer agreement if the owner constructs a public sewer facility that benefits property in addition to the owner's property and it is not feasible for the owner to include such other property owner in the utility developer extension agreement. The request must be made in writing and unit costs must be provided before the utility accepts the public sewer facility.
C. 
Benefitting Properties. The utility shall determine what properties benefit from the public sewer facility that shall be subject to the latecomer agreement.
D. 
Method of Cost Allocation. The utility shall determine the method of cost allocation used.
E. 
Recording. The utility shall record the latecomer agreement with King County against the benefitting properties, at the expense of the property owner requesting the agreement.
F. 
Cost to Latecomer. As a condition of connection to the public sewer facility, each latecomer shall pay, at the time of connection, his/her pro rata share of the design and construction costs of the sewer facility, which are determined by the utility and specified in the latecomer agreement. Design and construction costs shall include but are not limited to design, installation, inspection, construction management, interest and the utility's project management costs.
G. 
Agreement Duration. Duration of latecomer agreements is defined in the agreement, as limited by applicable law.
H. 
Forwarding Latecomer Payment. While the latecomer agreement is in effect, the utility will collect the latecomer payments and forward them to the property owner who paid for the facility, as specified in the agreement.
(Ord. 1187 § 10, 2017)
A. 
All charges for sewer service shall be due and payable on receipt of the city's billing for the services rendered.
B. 
As for buildings or residences in existence at the time sewage services become available to the building or residence, the first billing shall be made during the month next following the month in which written notice was given by the city, pursuant to SMC § 13.04.060.
C. 
As for buildings or residences constructed after the time sewage disposal facilities have been constructed capable of serving such buildings or residences, the first service charge shall be billed during the month next following connection to the sewage system of the city.
(Ord. 627 § 1, 1989)
All connection charges against property owners receiving or capable or receiving such service are deemed charges against the property served, and if such charges as established in this title are not paid by the fifteenth day of the month, or if the fifteenth day of the month is a legal holiday, then on the next business day, such charges shall be delinquent. Upon any such sewage connection charge becoming delinquent, there shall be added a penalty of 10 percent of the amount of such charge then due, and from the date of delinquency of any connection charge or sewer service charge there shall be charged interest at 12 percent on the delinquent charges and penalty added thereto. Delinquent charges, penalties added thereto, and interest on such charges and penalties shall be a lien against the property to which service was provided or which was capable of being served, subject only to the lien for general taxes. The clerk shall direct the city attorney to prepare and file a lien with the King County auditor whenever such charges have been delinquent for a period of four months, but may be so certified whenever such charges have been delinquent for a period of three months. The city may at any time thereafter bring suit and foreclose such lien by civil action in the superior court of the state for King County, pursuant to RCW 35.67.220 et seq.
(Ord. 627 § 1, 1989)
Delinquent notices may be mailed either to the occupant or to the owner of the property on which the structure so served is located so far as the city may reasonably ascertain the same. Failure to receive such bills shall not relieve any person liable therefor from the obligation to pay the same, nor the property receiving such service, or capable of receiving such service, from such lien therefor as may thereafter attach to the property in the manner provided by law.
(Ord. 627 § 1, 1989)