[Amended 6-13-2007]
A. 
Increased residential, commercial and industrial development, ongoing and anticipated, within the Town of Bethel has created a need to undertake capital improvements to the existing wastewater facilities to accommodate and treat the increased wastewater flow directly produced and generated by this increased development. These capital improvements have created a cost which is separate and distinct from the normal maintenance and upgrading repairs which benefit existing users.
B. 
In order to assess these capital improvement costs for increasing capacity fairly and equitably among those creating this demand, the Town hereby establishes a Sewer System Development Charge (referred to herein as "SSDC"). The proceeds from this charge shall be applied as prescribed herein.
C. 
The SSDC is the new or expanded municipal sewer users' proportional share of outstanding debt, as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year, and incurred in the construction of existing collection, pumping, transport, conveyance, treatment, and disposal capacity. Examples of this capacity include pipes, mains, manholes, pumping stations, and treatment plant. This charge is separate and distinct from the physical connection costs, the sewer rate, other sewer fees and any sewer extension costs. The SSDC is a fee for a sewer connection permit and is a one-time charge.
A. 
The SSDC, which is a sewer connection permit fee, shall be due and payable by the property owner prior to the issuance of a sewer connection permit, unless otherwise determined by the Select Board, for any new or additional expanded construction, renovation or change in use that will be connected to an existing or proposed municipal sanitary sewer. The SSDC shall also be charged when there is an additional wastewater flow to the collection and treatment facilities resulting from new or expanded construction, renovation or change in use and no new physical sewer connection is involved and there is already an existing sewer connection.
B. 
The SSDC shall be established by the Select Board and shall be based upon the gallons of daily flow of wastewaters projected to be generated by each use as established in the design criteria of the Maine State Plumbing Code and the Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, 10-144 CMR Ch. 241. The wastewater flow of any use not included in this code shall be determined by the CEO/LPI.
[Amended 6-12-2024 ATM by Art. 12]
C. 
The SSDC shall be calculated and determined by the CEO/LPI as follows:
X
=
Gallons per Day of New Use
= New User Proportional Share Calculated to 6th Decimal
Licensed Discharge Capacity of Treatment Plant
Y = (Value of X) x (Outstanding Debt Incurred, as described above)
Y = SSDC
D. 
The SSDC may not be the only cost the property owner will pay for a connection to the public sewer or for adding additional sewage flow to the sewer system. The Town under other parts of this chapter may assess fees for inspection, connection, sewer extension and others.
E. 
The SSDC may be refunded upon request of the owner or applicant, under the following conditions:
(1) 
No portion of the sewer connection permit or reserve capacity has been used;
(2) 
The permit has not expired as of the date a written request for refund has been received at the Town office;
(3) 
The right to receive a refund is only available to the original applicant or owner heirs, assigns, or successors;
(4) 
The applicant or owner forfeits the reserve capacity in the sewer collection system.
The SSDC shall not apply to the treatment of any wastewater flow from property owned by the Town of Bethel. All other tax-exempt properties, such as public or private schools, shall be charged an SSDC wherever applicable.
A. 
SSDC funds collected shall be utilized as follows:
(1) 
All funds collected shall be applied against debt service expenditures in the next fiscal year for the purpose of reducing customer charges that would otherwise be levied for the purpose of paying said debt service. It is recognized that existing multiyear debt is structured to prohibit prepayment of principal, and, therefore, this method is the only alternative to address the impact of new users' utilization of existing excess capacity.
(2) 
In all cases, accounting practices shall identify the amounts paid in by each user.