Title
Water and Sewer Rates and Stormwater Fees - For the purpose of increasing the metered use water and sewer rates, and Stormwater fees in the City of Annapolis.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Ordinance No. O-26-15
Introduced by: Alderman Arnett
Referred to
Environmental Matters Committee
Economic Matters Committee
Finance Committee
AN ORDINANCE concerning
Water and Sewer Rates, and Stormwater Fees
FOR the purpose of increasing the metered use water and sewer rates, and Stormwater fees in the City of Annapolis.
BY repealing and re-enacting with amendments the following portions of the Code of the City of Annapolis, 2013 Edition:
Section 16.08.040
Section 16.16.010
Section 17.10.180
SECTION I: BE IT ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the Code of Annapolis shall be amended to read as follows:
Chapter 16.08 WATER SERVICE
16.08.040 - Charges-Users within City.
A. A minimum fixed charge of shall be based on water meter size as follows:
|
Meter Size |
Fixed Charge |
|
1 Inch or Less |
$9.89 10.09 10.29 |
|
1½ Inch |
$49.43 50.42 51.41 |
|
2 Inch |
$79.09 80.67 82.25 |
|
3 Inch |
$158.19 161.35 164.52 |
|
4 Inch |
$247.17 252.11 257.06 |
|
6 Inch |
$494.33 504.22 514.10 |
B. Consumption shall be billed to each connection each quarter at the following rates:
Residential Usage Charges
Per Thousand Gallons
|
1 to 7,000 gallons |
$3.12 3.18 3.24 |
|
7,001 gallons to 20,000 gallons |
$6.25 6.37 6.50 |
|
Over 20,001 gallons |
$9.37 9.56 9.74 |
Non-Residential and Multifamily
Usage Charges Per Thousand Gallons
|
All usage |
$4.65 4.74 4.84 |
AN ANNUAL 2% RATE INCREASE SHALL BE IN EFFECT FROM JULY 1, 2015 UNTIL JUNE 30, 2018 FOR WATER CHARGES SET FORTH IN THIS CHAPTER. PRIOR TO JUNE 30 EACH YEAR, THE CITY SHALL COMPLETE A COST OF SERVICE RATE STUDY AND REPORT THE RESULTS TO THE COUNCIL. IF THE RATE STUDY INDICATES AN INCREASE OF RATES IS NECESSARY TO COVER THE COST OF SERVICE, AND THE INCREASE IS LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT, THE RATE INCREASE WILL AUTOMATICALLY OCCUR AND NO COUNCIL ACTION WILL BE REQUIRED. IF THE NECESSARY RATE INCREASE IS FIVE PERCENT OR GREATER, THE COUNCIL SHALL BE REQUIRED TO ACT AFFIRMATIVELY BY ESTABLISHING AND ADOPTING A RATE INCREASE PRIOR TO THE START OF EACH FISCAL YEAR.”
C. A resident may request in writing to make monthly payments. There shall be a four percent surcharge for this service.
D. A charge of forty dollars shall be billed each time for non-payment or when a customer requests the City to turn on, turn off, or reconnect any water supply system and that service is performed during normal business hours. If the service is performed outside normal business hours, the charge shall be one hundred twenty-five dollars.
E. A charge of fifteen dollars shall be billed for any special water meter readings requested by a customer.
F. A charge of fifty dollars shall be billed for any testing of a water meter requested by a customer; provided, that if it is determined that the meter is defective, the charge shall be waived.
Chapter 16.16 SEWER SERVICE
16.16.010 - Rate.
A. 1. The charge for sewer service to users within the City shall be based on water consumption, as defined in subsection (A)(2) of this section as follows:
a. A minimum fixed charge shall be billed each connection each quarter for water consumption and shall be based on water meter size as follows:
|
Meter Size |
Fixed Charge |
|
1 Inch or Less |
$11.05 11.27 11.71 |
|
1½ Inch |
$55.26 56.36 58.58 |
|
2 Inch |
$88.42 90.19 93.73 |
|
3 Inch |
$176.83 180.37 187.44 |
|
4 Inch |
$276.30 281.83 292.88 |
|
6 Inch |
$552.61 563.66 585.77 |
b. Consumption shall be billed to each connection each quarter at the following rates:
Residential Usage Charges
Per Thousand Gallons
|
All usage |
$4.86 4.96 5.15 |
Non-Residential and Multifamily Usage
Charges Per Thousand Gallons
PRIOR TO JUNE 30 EACH YEAR, THE CITY SHALL COMPLETE A COST OF SERVICE RATE STUDY AND REPORT THE RESULTS TO THE COUNCIL. IF THE RATE STUDY INDICATES AN INCREASE OF RATES IS NECESSARY TO COVER THE COST OF SERVICE, AND THE INCREASE IS LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT, THE RATE INCREASE WILL AUTOMATICALLY OCCUR AND NO COUNCIL ACTION WILL BE REQUIRED. IF THE NECESSARY RATE INCREASE IS FIVE PERCENT OR GREATER, THE COUNCIL SHALL BE REQUIRED TO ACT AFFIRMATIVELY BY ESTABLISHING AND ADOPTING A RATE INCREASE PRIOR TO THE START OF EACH FISCAL YEAR.”
2. For the purposes of this section, "water consumption" is determined by the actual water consumption in each quarter. AN ANNUAL 2% RATE INCREASE SHALL BE IN EFFECT FROM JULY 1, 2015 UNTIL JUNE 30, 2018 FOR SEWER CHARGES SET FORTH IN THIS CHAPTER.
B. A resident may request in writing to make monthly payments. There shall be a four percent surcharge for this service.
C. Sewer service shall not be extended to any user outside of the City except by written agreement approved by ordinance. The ordinance shall expressly find, upon a determination issued by the Director of Public Works, that existing and/or funded facilities, capacity and infrastructure are sufficient to serve the user outside the City in addition to existing and reasonably foreseeable City users. The terms of each such agreement shall bind the user, its successors and assigns, according to its terms which shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of this chapter. The agreement shall make specific reference to the ordinance authorizing it and be recorded in the land records for Anne Arundel County. The charge for sewer service to users outside the City shall be twice that charged to users within the City.
D. In addition to the charge required by the provisions of subsection C of this section, sewer service to users outside the City shall make annual payments to the City in amounts equivalent to City real property taxes which would be imposed if the property were in the City.
E. All costs incurred in extending sewer service to users outside the City, including but not limited to costs incurred in extending existing sewer mains, shall be paid by the user. All improvements to existing public infrastructure made in extending sewer service to users outside the City, shall be built to City standards and shall be transferred to public ownership upon such terms and conditions as the Director of Public Works shall require.
F. Whenever property outside the City receiving City sewer service is annexed into the City, the charge for such service shall be reduced to that charged for users in the City and the payments required under subsection D of this section shall abate as of the date of annexation.
17.10.180 - Stormwater Utility Fund.
A. A stormwater utility fund shall be established and the moneys therein shall be used by the City for land acquisition (including easements and rights-of-way), and the study, engineering, design, purchase, construction, expansion, repair, maintenance, landscaping and inspection of public stormwater management systems.
B. The stormwater utility fee schedule applicable to the fund shall be established by resolution of the City Council. THE FEE SCHEDULE SHALL REFLECT AN ANNUAL 2% RATE INCREASE IN EFFECT FROM JULY 1, 2015 UNTIL JUNE 30, 2018 FOR STORMWATER FEES UNDER THIS SECTION. To encourage environmentally sound and effective stormwater management practices, the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods and Environmental Programs may authorize a reduction in the stormwater utility fee not to exceed fifty percent in accordance with a duly established policy setting forth which stormwater management facilities shall qualify for a reduction of the stormwater utility fee and how such reductions shall be calculated.
C. In the case of an application for a waiver to on-site water quantity and/or water quality management under this chapter, the Director of Public Works may in his/her discretion accept the conveyance of an interest in land, the construction of a stormwater management facility, the scheduled fee or any equivalent combination thereof as the stormwater utility fee.
D. The Director of Public Works shall not accept a conveyance of land or the construction of a stormwater management facility pursuant to the preceding subsection that does not cover adequately the cost to the City of managing the stormwater generated from the subject property or if such acceptance is otherwise not in the interest of the City.
E. Public Works is responsible for maintenance, repair and retrofit of stormwater facilities that lie in the public right-of-way and these funds shall be used to this effect.
SECTION II: AND BE IT FURTHER ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that this Ordinance shall take effect from the date of its passage.
EXPLANATION
CAPITAL LETTERS indicate matter added to existing law.
Strikethrough indicates matter stricken from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments.