Chapter 13.10
SEWER RATES
Sections:
13.10.010 Authority and intent.
13.10.030 Sewer permit and permit fees.
13.10.050 Sewer connection fee levied and imposed.
13.10.110 Powers and authority of inspectors.
13.10.010 Authority and intent.
Pursuant to the statutes of the state of Oregon and the powers granted in the Charter of the city of Rainier, the city does hereby declare its intention to acquire, own, construct, equip, operate, and maintain sanitary sewers, sewage pump stations, sewage treatment plants, and outfall sewers; to extend and expand the existing sewerage system of said city; and to reconstruct such existing sanitary sewers, sewage pump stations, and sewage treatment plants as may be deemed proper by the city council. (Ord. 828 § 1, 1975)
13.10.020 Definitions.
A. “Sewage” means a combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such ground, surface, and storm waters as may be present.
B. “Sewage system” means all city-owned facilities for collecting, pumping, treating, and disposing of sewage.
C. “Sewage treatment plant” means any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
D. “Sewer” means a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
E. “Sanitary sewer” means a sewer which carries sewage and to which storm, surface, and ground water are not intentionally admitted.
F. “Multifamily” shall mean two or more family occupancy.
G. “Superintendent” means the employee or representative of the city authorized to perform the duties designated in this chapter. (Ord. 828 § 2, 1975)
13.10.030 Sewer permit and permit fees.
A. There shall be two classes of building sewer permits:
1. For residential, single, and multifamily service;
2. For nonresidential services.
B. Plan Check Fees. To cover the cost of review and approval of proposed public sewerage systems extensions and inspection of sewer construction a plan check fee will be charged. The charge will be the actual cost of reviewing, checking, and inspecting the sewerage system, plus 30 percent for overhead and administration.
C. Permit Fees. To cover the cost of processing the sewer permit application and performing the inspection of the building sewer to the sewer system, the following fees will be charged:
|
Single-family Residential |
$15.00 |
|
Multifamily Residential |
$3.00 per unit but not less than $30.00 |
|
Commercial |
$35.00 |
|
Industrial |
Actual cost + 30%, but not less than $50.00 |
No permit fee will be required for sewer permit applications processed before September 1, 1975, except for the connections where no connection fee is levied.
D. Additional Inspection Charges. If anyone making a connection applies for an inspection on a day other than a regular working day for the inspectors, the applicant shall be charged with and pay for an additional inspection fee of $10.00 for each such inspection. If additional inspections are required due to failure of the building sewer to pass the requirements for the installation of said sewer, the applicant shall be charged with and pay an additional inspection fee of $5.00 for each such inspection. Said additional inspection fee shall be paid prior to final approval of the connection being inspected.
E. Service Calls. The city assumes no responsibility for the adequacy, reliability or maintenance of the “building sewer.” Blockage or other malfunctions of the building sewer shall be corrected by the property owner at his expense.
The maintenance crew will respond to complaint calls to determine if the problem is caused by or associated with the “service connection” and make necessary repairs at no cost to the property; unless such repairs were made necessary by user misuse, intentional or unintentional, or is the result of faulty material and/or workmanship, or accidental damage over which the city had no direct control. (Ord. 828 § 3, 1975)
13.10.040 Service charges.
A. There is hereby levied and imposed upon the owner of any dwelling, house, business, commercial establishment or sewer user within 160 feet of any existing sanitary sewer line within the city of Rainier or if in the future a sanitary sewer line is provided within 160 feet, just and equitable charges for sewer service.
B. Dwellings that are served by pumping units shall be subject to the sewer service charges provided by this chapter.
C. Any dwelling that is within 160 feet of an existing sanitary sewer of the city of Rainier and that by reason of ordinance, resolution, or motion duly adopted by the city council is not required to connect to the sewage system shall be subject to the sewer service charges provided by this chapter unless lesser charges for such dwellings are enacted by resolution of the city council.
D. When sewer service is initially provided to existing dwellings, said sewer service charge shall first be levied for the first month or portion thereof in which the dwellings are permitted to be connected to the sewer.
E. When new dwellings are served by the sewerage system, said sewer charge shall first be levied for the first month in which the dwelling is occupied or utilized by personnel not associated with the construction of the dwelling.
F. Sewer service charges to a dwelling are to be levied upon the availability of sewer service and are not dependent upon the owner’s schedule for connecting to the sewerage system after said system is available.
G. The minimum sewer service charge for an individually billed service shall be equal to the charge for a residential service.
H. Sewer service charges may be billed to an occupant; however, the property owner shall be ultimately responsible for all sewer service charges to his property.
I. Rates for sewer service, see Table 1 attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter and incorporated herein.
J. No sewer service charge shall be levied on dwellings that are vacant for any month in which the city recorder has been notified in advance of the vacancy.
K. The city will provide a sewage receiving station next to the sewage treatment plant. Service fees for use of this station are presented in Table 1. (Ord. 828 § 4, 1975)
13.10.050 Sewer connection fee levied and imposed.
A. There is hereby levied and imposed upon the owner of any property connected to the sanitary sewer system of the city of Rainier a connection fee. The connection fee shall offset the cost of construction, maintenance and replacement of the sewerage facilities.
B. The service connection fee is levied upon a property based upon the existing or intended use of the property at the time of application for connection. If the existing or intended use of the property is changed to a more expensive connection charge classification, the owner shall pay the charge for the new classification, less the amount of any connection fee previously paid for the prior classification.
C. Dwellings that are served by pumping units shall be subject to the sewer connection fee provided by this chapter unless lesser charges for such dwellings are enacted by resolution of the city council.
D. Sewer connection fees levied by this chapter shall be due prior to the connection.
E. Rates for Connection Fee. Sewer connection fees shall be as provided in Table 2 attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter and incorporated herein, or as provided by council resolution.
F. Any person applying for a permit to connect a property directly to a public sewer, which was installed without direct or indirect cost to the owner of the connecting property, shall pay a connection fee surcharge as set by council resolution. (Ord. 897, 1986; Ord. 828 § 5, 1975)
13.10.060 Appeals procedure.
A. Any person aggrieved by a ruling under or interpretation of the provisions of this chapter may submit a written appeal to the city council of the city of Rainier. The appeal shall set forth the events and circumstances leading to the appeal, the nature of the ruling or interpretation from which relief is sought, the nature of the impact of the ruling on appellant’s property or business together with any other reasons for the appeal.
B. The city council will consider the appeal at the next regular council meeting or within 30 days of receipt of the appeal, and hear testimony if deemed necessary. The decision of the council will be final. (Ord. 828 § 6, 1975)
13.10.070 Payment.
Every person subject to a charge hereunder shall pay the same when due to the recorder of the city of Rainier. (Ord. 828 § 7, 1975)
13.10.080 Collection.
A. The recorder of the city of Rainier is hereby directed to collect the sewer service charges and connection fees as provided herein.
B. Sewer service and connection fees as and when collected shall be paid into a fund designated as the “sewer fund.”
C. Sewer service charges as hereinbefore provided shall be collected monthly and if not paid on or before 15 days after the date of billing, said charges shall be deemed to be delinquent.
D. Delinquent sewer service shall bear interest from the day of delinquency at a rate of eight percent per annum. The recorder may excuse interest payments on accounts delinquent for 30 days or less. (Ord. 828 § 8, 1975)
13.10.090 Enforcement.
A. The recorder of the city of Rainier may use such means of collection as may be provided by the laws of the state of Oregon or permitted by the Charter and ordinances of the city of Rainier.
B. Any delinquencies may be certified to the tax assessor of Columbia County and be by him assessed against the premises serviced and shall thereupon be collected and paid over in the same manner as other taxes are certified, collected, and paid over.
C. In the event it becomes necessary to certify the service charges and interest charges established because of the nonpayment thereof, there shall be added to such charges a penalty in the amount of 10 percent thereof. (Ord. 828 § 9, 1975)
13.10.100 Disbursement.
The city council, by resolution or motion duly adopted, shall from time to time and not less than once each fiscal year, direct the transfer of funds from the sewer fund to all or any of the following:
A. The account or accounts for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the sewerage system.
B. The account or accounts for the payment of principal and interest on maturing sewer bonds.
C. The account or accounts established for a sewerage system sinking fund. (Ord. 828 § 10, 1975)
13.10.110 Powers and authority of inspectors.
The superintendent and other duly authorized employees and representatives of the city of Rainier bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purpose of inspecting in accordance with this chapter at such times and during such hours that the city council shall approve. (Ord. 828 § 11, 1975)