The Town of North Beach has established various
fees and user charges for the use of its water and sewer facilities.
Under this section, a description has been provided of each of the
fees or charges. Appendix A contains the schedule of the current established amounts
for each of the fees or charges. The Town will, from time to time,
alter the amounts of the various fees and charges to meet its budgetary
needs to provide sewer and water service.
Major items for which user charges are necessary
include labor for operation and maintenance of the sewage treatment
and water supply facilities, pumping stations, water mains, force
mains and sewers; cost of chemicals; power costs; administrative,
engineering and legal costs and the cost of preparing and mailing
bills. Unless otherwise provided for, user charges for potable water
will be a function of the amount of water consumed through the water
meter. All water passing through a meter shall be made for excessive
consumption due to leaks or waste. User charges for sewer service
will be a function of a percentage of the amount of water consumed
through the water meter, thereby allowing for a percentage of water
used that does not enter the sewage disposal system. Such percentage
shall be as established by the Town.
All meter readings and billings are on a quarterly
basis, except that meter readings and billings for commercial, institutional
or industrial customers may be made on a monthly basis at the option
of the Town. Billing for meter reading will be effective on the date
of installation of the meter.
Any water or sewer bills that remain unpaid
after 30 days shall be assessed an additional interest penalty of
1 1/2% per month cumulative on the unpaid balance. In addition,
the Town reserves the right to discontinue service to any customer
who has an unpaid account balance beyond 30 days.
All charges and rates outlined above constitute
a lien on the real estate served, collectable in the same manner as
Town taxes by legal action. All costs incurred by the Town, including
reasonable attorney fees to collect overdue accounts, shall become
the responsibility of the property owner.
The Town will presume service is being rendered
from the time the water is turned on, at the request of the customer,
until said customer gives notice to the Town to discontinue the service.
Any customer obtaining water or sewer service
outside the Town limits, and which customer is not covered by any
existing inter-municipal service agreement, shall pay fees and rates
listed times 150%.
The Town may permit, at its discretion, a temporary
exemption from the front-foot benefit charge for all or any portion
of property temporarily unsuitable for improvement because of inadequate
depth of sewer, inadequate depth of the property, or any other unusual
shape or circumstance.
A schedule of front-foot benefit charges may
be revised and adopted from time to time by the Town to reflect any
adjustments to the capital expenditures to the system. A schedule
of user charges may be revised and adopted from time to time by the
Town.
The Town reserves the right to increase or decrease
any of the charges and rates based on the results of its operating
and maintenance experience as well as its requirement to produce revenue
for debt service, depreciation, and other necessary and proper expenses
and reserves.