The Water Utility of the City shall be managed
and operated by a Board of Water Commissioners.
A. Members and terms. There is hereby established a nonpartisan
Board of Water Commissioners to consist of five members. Commissioners
shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by no less than 2/3
of the entire membership of the Common Council for a term of five
years, commencing October 1 of the year in which they are elected.
Upon creation of such Board, the initial terms of office shall be
one, two, three, four and five years for the respective members, and
thereafter five years for each member so appointed. The Commissioners
shall receive no compensation except expenses unless otherwise provided
by ordinance.
B. Oath and bond. Within five days after the beginning
of his or her term of office, the person appointed shall file with
the City Clerk his or her oath of office and bond.
[Amended 3-5-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-1708]
C. Officers. The members of the Board of Water Commissioners
shall elect from their number a President and a Secretary, whose term
of office shall be for a period of one year. At the first meeting
after the first of October of each year, these officers shall be duly
elected by the Commissioners.
D. Meetings. The Board of Water Commissioners shall meet
at least once each month. Special meetings may be held at any time
on the call of the President or by members of the Board, who shall
so direct the Secretary to call such special meeting. A minimum of
three calendar days' notice, in writing or by telephone, shall be
given each Commissioner at his or her place of residence, unless a
special meeting is held at which all Commissioners are present and
waive notice of the time for such special meeting and consent to the
holding thereof without notice.
E. Quorum. The majority of the Board shall constitute
a quorum, and such quorum shall be necessary for the transaction of
any business.
F. Duties. The Board of Water Commissioners shall take entire charge and management of the Water Utility and Water Department of the City, employ a manager and fix his or her intention. The Board of Water Commissioners may employ the services of other City officials in accordance with Subsection
L of this section, and may employ and shall be responsible for the compensation of all of its subordinate employees.
G. Powers. The Board of Water Commissioners shall have
complete charge of construction, extension, improvement, operation
and maintenance of the Water Utility, subject to the powers and jurisdiction
fixed by law and the ordinances of the City and the rules of the Public
Service Commission. It may purchase sites and make, prepare and adopt
plans, designs and specifications for buildings, machinery, apparatus
and the laying of mains and appliances required for the proper functioning
of the Utility. The Board shall have such other powers and duties
as may be granted to it by law or by ordinance of the City.
H. Limitations of powers. The Board shall be limited
only in the case where a capital investment requires the borrowing
of money which will become a general obligation of the City. For this
limitation, the consent of the City Council shall first be required.
I. Accounts. Books of account shall be kept in the manner
and form prescribed by the Public Service Commission and shall be
open to public inspection at the place prescribed by the Board of
Water Commissioners. All accounts shall be audited by the Board and
approved by the same.
J. Receipts. All receipts of the Water Utility shall
be deposited with the City Treasurer, who will be the appointed bonded
cashier for the Board. Such bonding shall be in the amount of not
less than $5,000 and approved by the Board and paid for by the Water
Utility. A separate fund of all such receipts shall be kept and maintained
at financial institutions designated by the Board.
K. Expenses and disbursements. All departmental expenditures
shall be approved by the Board of Water Commissioners and signed by
the President and Secretary of the Board, and shall be paid by the
City Clerk and Treasurer in the manner provided by § 66.0607,
Wis. Stats., and in the manner following: order check shall be issued
by the City Clerk upon the filing with the City Clerk of certified
and approved bills, vouchers or schedules signed by the President
and Secretary of the Board, giving the name of the claimant or payee
and the amount and nature of each payment.
[Amended 3-5-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-1708]
(1) Absent
a meeting of the Board of Water Commissioners, approval of the voucher
list by the President, and, in the absence of the President, the Secretary,
is sufficient authorization for the City Treasurer to release payment
of vouchers. Any list of vouchers approved in this manner shall be
provided to the Commissioners at the next regularly scheduled Board
of Water Commissioners meeting.
[Added 10-17-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-2296]
L. Utilization of City employees. The Board of Water
Commissioners, when necessary, may utilize the services of the Director
of Public Works, City Engineer, City Attorneys and other officials
and employees of the City. All City officials and employees of the
City performing services for the Water Utility shall present monthly
stats, properly documented, to the Water Utility for approval. The
general fund of the City shall be reimbursed by the Water Utility
for the cost of such services by City officials and employees. The
basis for such service shall be as mutually agreed upon or determined
by the City Council.
M. Rules; compliance. The Board of Water Commissioners
may make all necessary rules governing its own proceedings and for
the governing of the Water Utility, which rules shall not contravene
any laws of the state or ordinances of the City. Furthermore, all
persons not receiving a water supply from the City Water Utility,
or who may hereafter make application therefor, shall be considered
as having agreed to be bound by the rules and regulations as filed
with the Public Service Commission and the provisions of this section.
N. Report to City Council. The Board of Water Commissioners
shall submit to the City Council on or before July 1 of each year
and at such other times as may be directed by the Council, an audited
financial report prepared by an independent certified public accountant
for the preceding year and such other information as may be determined
essential to inform the Council of the conditions of the Water Utility.
The assessment for sanitary sewer laterals installed
from the main sewer to the private property line shall be based upon
an accepted contract bid price quotation plus 16% for administrative,
engineering and inspection fees. The owner or his or her agent or
heirs of such property shall be assessed a lump sum for each lateral
installed.
[Amended 11-3-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-2150]
All sewer and water bills which are delinquent
as of November 16 at the time the annual property tax bills are being
prepared shall be included on such tax bill along with a service charge
equal to 10% of the unpaid bill or bills.
The assessment for water main laterals installed
from the main to the private property line shall be based upon accepted
contract bid price quotation plus 16% for administrative, engineering
and inspection fees. The owner, his or her agent or heirs of such
property shall be assessed a lump sum for each lateral installed.
[Added 5-21-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-2105]
A. Application. Whenever a landowner or developer desires to extend
sanitary sewer service to land within the Southwest Sanitary Sewer
Service Area, such landowner or developer may request the construction
of sanitary sewer extension facilities in the following manner:
(1) Written application may be made to the City Engineer for a determination
of the size and location of facilities which would be required to
serve the area in question and such other areas as could reasonably
be served by the sanitary sewer facilities.
(2) Within 30 days of the filing of the application, the Engineer shall
advise the landowner or developer of any existing plans of the City
for the construction of such facilities.
B. Review of request for advance sanitary sewer extension. If the landowner
or developer desires the City undertake the extension of the sanitary
sewer facilities in advance of the City's extending such facilities,
the landowner or developer may make a request to the City Engineer.
The City Engineer shall review the request and make a recommendation
to the Common Council. The Common Council may determine whether to
allow the construction of the facilities by the landowner or developer
or to construct the facilities as a public project. The following
factors shall be considered in making this determination:
(1) Whether there is an immediate public need for the sanitary sewer
extension project.
(2) Whether the project will primarily provide for the development of
vacant lands.
(3) The availability of and need to use City funding on the project,
as compared with other projects presently authorized or in the planning
stage.
(4) The availability of City staff to prepare plans and supervise the
construction of such.
C. Financing cost of construction. The cost of any sanitary sewer facilities
shall be financed on the following basis unless otherwise determined
by the Common Council for reasons which are in its opinion unique
to the particular project. The Common Council shall determine whether
or not the requested facility would serve an immediate public need
of the City in general and whether funds are available for the requested
extension.
(1) If the City Council determines there is an immediate public need and funds are available or the proposed project otherwise benefits the City, the City may proceed with the project as a City public works project installed through the process of special assessments as set forth in §
207-15 of this Code. The City shall pay the oversize cost and any deferments through the Southwest Sanitary Sewer Service Area sanitary sewer connection fee and impact fee accounts.
(2) If the Common Council determines that there is no immediate public
need or funds are not available, the requesting landowner or developer
shall pay for the cost of the facilities to be constructed. The landowner
or developer shall be reimbursed without interest as follows:
(a)
The oversize portion of the facilities (an eight-inch-or-more
diameter as calculated by the City Engineer based upon estimated flow
based upon land use) shall be reimbursed to the requesting landowner
or developer in five annual equal payments, beginning February 15,
after the facilities are placed into operation. Reimbursement shall
not include interest. The actual oversize costs shall be calculated
using only the difference in materials costs. In the event the total
project oversize portion reimbursement amount upon project completion
is $30,000 or less and City funds are available in the Development
or Utility Development Funds, as certified by the Director of Finance
and Treasurer, such reimbursement shall be paid within a reasonable
amount of time from project completion. Reimbursement shall not include
interest.
[Amended 4-3-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-2264]
(b)
The nonoversize portion of the facilities shall be reimbursed
to the requesting landowner or developer as the amount is recovered
by the City from abutting property owners as they connect and receive
service. The prorated frontage cost of the nonoversize portion shall
be collected from the abutting property owners and returned to the
landowner or developer for a period of not more than 10 years from
the date the facilities are placed into service. No reimbursement
shall be made after the ten-year period. Reimbursement shall not include
interest.
[Amended 10-17-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-2298]
D. Items included in cost of construction. The cost of any facilities
shall include the cost of all engineering, inspection, legal, fiscal
and other work related to the project.
E. Bond or cash deposit. No facility project shall be awarded unless the requesting landowner or developer deposits with the City Clerk a bond or cash equal to 110% of the bid of the successful bidder plus such amount as shall be required in the opinion of the City Engineer to cover the cost specified in Subsection
D above.
F. Other authority retained. Nothing in this section shall deprive the
City of the powers conferred by §§ 66.53 through 66.698,
Wis. Stats.
[Added 5-21-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-2105]
A. Connection policy. If public sanitary sewer service is extended by the City upon a determination by the Common Council of immediate public need for such service, the provisions of §
207-1A of this Code requiring connection shall apply. If public sanitary sewer service is extended by a property owner or developer upon a determination by the Common Council of no immediate public need for such service, a property supporting an existing structure usable for human habitation within the extension area shall not be required to connect to the service, provided the property is then served by a private on-site wastewater treatment system that conforms with the state plumbing code and all other applicable state and City statutes, codes, ordinances and regulations (to be determined for compliance by the City Building Inspection Department upon review of proof prepared by a person or entity licensed, certified and/or registered in Wisconsin to perform on-site wastewater treatment system testing, of a system inspection which occurred not more than one year prior to the date of public sanitary sewer becoming available, which shall be submitted by the property owner), until such property is redeveloped whereby 50% or more of the building structure(s) served by the system upon the property is/are replaced or remodeled or are expanded by 50% of the floor space area or more. The Common Council shall consider the existence of any failing private on-site wastewater treatment systems upon properties to be served by any extension when deciding upon any determination of immediate public need. Prior to any determination of immediate public need, the Common Council shall survey all of the owners of property in the area to be served by the proposed extension, by written survey delivered by regular United States Mail. The Common Council shall consider the survey results in its determination. One survey shall be provided to and available for return per property. Survey results providing for a majority of properties whose owners are in favor of the sewer extension shall carry great weight in the determination.
B. Connection fees. All existing (upon the effective date of this section
on May 31, 2013) buildings in the Southwest Sanitary Sewer Service
Area connecting to the sanitary sewer system of the City, shall pay
at the time application is made for sewer connection a connection
fee as follows:
(1) For all single-family dwellings, a minimum charge of $2,928.
(2) For multifamily buildings, an initial charge of $2,928 for the first
unit in a multifamily building and an additional $1,464 for each additional
living unit erected in the same multifamily building.
(3) All commercial buildings, manufacturing buildings, industrial buildings, schools, churches or any other structure [not including structures providing multifamily dwelling units, to which Subsection
B(2) above shall apply] for which a request for connection shall be made shall pay a minimum fee of $2,928 for such connection.
(a)
If such structure shall have a water main connection thereto
greater than three-fourths-inch diameter, then the fee shall be determined
as follows:
|
Meter Size
(inches)
|
Equivalent Meter Factor
|
Fee per Meter
|
---|
|
5/8
|
1.00
|
$2,928
|
|
3/4
|
1.00
|
$2,928
|
|
1
|
2.50
|
$7,320
|
|
1.25
|
3.75
|
$10,980
|
|
1.5
|
5.00
|
$14,640
|
|
2
|
8.00
|
$23,424
|
|
2.5
|
12.50
|
$36,600
|
|
3
|
15.00
|
$43,920
|
|
4
|
25.00
|
$73,200
|
|
6
|
50.00
|
$146,400
|
|
8
|
80.00
|
$234,240
|
|
10
|
120.00
|
$351,360
|
|
12
|
160.00
|
$468,480
|
(b)
If no water connection is made, the Council shall determine
the connection charge based on anticipated water use.
C. Private on-site wastewater treatment system installed on or after
10 years before May 5, 2013, in the Southwest Sanitary Sewer Service
Area. If a property owner installed on the property a private on-site
wastewater treatment system that currently conforms with the state
plumbing code and all other applicable state and City statutes, codes,
ordinances and regulations (to be determined by the City Building
Inspection Department upon review of then-current proof prepared by
a person or entity licensed in Wisconsin to perform on-site wastewater
treatment system testing, which shall be submitted by the property
owner), on or after 10 years before May 5, 2013, and if the property
owner provides the City Engineer with information about the type,
installation, cost, age and functional performance of the private
on-site wastewater treatment system required by the City Engineer
to ascertain the compliance of the system to the provisions of this
subsection to a reasonable certainty, the City, when the City issues
any assessment or connection fees for the extension of public sanitary
sewer applicable to the property, shall credit the property owner
an amount equal to 10% of the cost of the private on-site wastewater
treatment system, less any grants or aids received by the property
owner for construction of the private on-site wastewater treatment
system, multiplied by the number of years of remaining life of the
private on-site wastewater treatment system. The number of years of
remaining life of the private on-site wastewater treatment system
is equal to 10 minus the number of years that the private on-site
wastewater treatment system has been in operation. Such credit amount
shall not exceed the total of the principal amount of sewer assessment
and connection fees applicable to the property.