Resolution 14-060 Maintaining the Water and Sewer Rates at the 2014 Rate and Updating the Fee Schedule Accordingly

CITY OF HOMER

HOMER, ALASKA

City Manager/Finance Director

RESOLUTION 14-060

 

A RESOLUTION OF THE HOMER CITY COUNCIL MAINTAINING THE WATER AND SEWER FEES AT THE 2014 RATE AND UPDATING THE HOMER FEE SCHEDULE ACCORDINGLY.

 

               WHEREAS, Water and sewer utility services shall be reviewed annually and amended, as necessary, to take effect as of July 1, 2014 with the first billing cycle to take effect following July 1; and

 

                WHEREAS, The Homer City Council reviewed the current rate model and recommended no rate changes for the period of July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.

 

               NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of Homer, Alaska, that the water and sewer fees be maintained at the 2014 rate and the Homer Fee Schedule be updated as follows:

 

WATER AND SEWER FEES:

 

(The following fees have been set by the following legislative enactment HCC Title 14, new fees set forth in Ordinance 13-30(A), Resolution 13-048(S-2)(A-3), Ordinance 11-43, Resolution 11-094(S), Resolution 11-062(A), Resolution 09-47(S)(A), Resolution 09-48(S)(A), Resolution 07-119 (A), Resolution 07-120(A), Ordinance 06-62(A), Resolution 06-04, Resolution 05-125, Resolution 05-122, Resolution 05-121(A), Resolution 05-09, Resolution 04-95, Resolution 04-94(S)(A), Resolution 03-159, Resolution 02-80, Resolution 01-80(A), Resolution 00-123, Resolution 00-34, Ordinance 00-02, Ordinance 97-17(A), amending the rates set forth in Ordinance 97-5(S)(A), with amendments by Ordinance 97-7, Ordinance 97-13 and Ordinance 97-14).

 

Public Works - 235-3170

City Hall - 235-8121

Billing - 235-8121 x2240

 

A 15% admin. fee for replacement parts for water/sewer services, functions, pressure reducing valves, sewer saddles, any Public Works Department stock item for resale to public.

 

Establishing service includes a one-time disconnect - $30

Service calls, inspections, repairs not to exceed one hour - $25 per employee plus equipment and materials.

 

Service calls, inspections and repairs during normal operating hours in excess of one hour labor: actual labor costs by City plus equipment and materials.

 

Service calls, inspections and repairs after normal operating hours or on weekends/holidays: $50 minimum plus equipment and materials or actual cost incurred by City, whichever is greater.

 

SEWER FEES:

Sewer Connection and Extension Permit Fee

 

Single Family  $255

Multi-Family/Commercial $330

 

Customer classification definitions for determining sewer connection and extension permit fees:

 

Single Family Residential – A unit providing housing for one household; with less than 25% of the building area used for business or commercial purposes.

 

Multi-Family Residential- A building or lot occupied by more than one household: contained within one building or several building within one complex. Examples of multi-family  units includes duplexes, four-plexes and up, apartments, condominiums, co-housing projects, and multiple structures on one lot (where units are normally rented or occupied for longer than one month at a time). Examples of units not considered as multi-family include  hotels, motels, B&B’s seasonal rooms/cabins (where units are routinely rented or occupied for less than one month at a time.)

 

Commercial - Any user not defined as Residential.

 

Sewer Rate Schedule.

 

All sewer utility services shall be billed according to the following schedule (Table I, II).  This schedule is for monthly sewer services and is in addition to any charges for connecting or disconnecting the service, installation of the service or any assessment of the improvements.

 

Rates

 Table I

 

 

Sewer

Customer  Classification

Monthly Service

Usage Charge/Gallon

Lift-Station Customer

 $                                 -  

$0.0218

Non-Lift-Station Customer

 

$0.0147

Multi-units (additional per unit)

 $                            5.00

 N/A

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rates

 Table II            

 

Sewer ONLY Customers

Sewer

 

Fees/Rate/Usage

Per Customer Per Month

Lift-Station Customer

$0.0218/Gal

                                                                  

$76.30

Non-Lift-Station Customer

 $0.0147/Gal

$51.45

Monthly Service

$5.00/customer/mo.

                    $5.00

Pumping Fee (If Applicable)

$7.75/customer/mo.

$ 7.75

Assumption: Avg. Sewer Usage

3500 Gal/Mo.

 

 

 

 

Customer classification definitions for determining sewer rates:

 

Lift Station Zone Customer: There are eleven sewage lift/pump stations that are used for pumping wastewater or sewage from areas with lower elevation than the treatment plant. Customers who are located in these areas shall be charged additional fees for the cost added to the services (see Table I & II).  

 

Non-Lift Station Zone Customer: Customers who are located in the zone that do not need lift/pump station services.

 

Sewer System Dischargers (Sewer ONLY customers): Customers who use sewer service only shall be charged a monthly fee of $5 plus sewer usage fee based on assessed volume of 3,500 gallons per month multiplied by the applicable sewage rate (see Table II). Kachemak City Local Improvement District (LID) members have contributed to the initial cost of the sewer treatment plant and the collection system. For Kachemak City LID dischargers connected within the LID, the City of Homer shall bill Kachemak City in one single bill at the Lift-Station Zone Rate of $89.05 ($76.30 +$5 +$7.75) per month per customer. Kachemak City shall be responsible for payment to the City of Homer.

 

Domestic sewer service customers who use large quantities of City water in addition to their domestic use shall be allowed, with the Public Works Director's approval, to install an additional water meter on the domestic water use line for the purpose of metering and charging for domestic sewer system use. Sewer system use will be billed monthly.

 

The City will allow, upon approval by Public Works and a permit from the Public Works Department, a second water usage meter – called a seasonal sewer meter – for each customer that desires to measure the flow of City water that is not discharged to the sewer system during the summer growing season, June 15 through September 15. Rates noted above do not apply.

 

Seasonal Sewer Meter Fee is $251.75.

 

WATER FEES:

Water Connection Fee

 

Single Family  $300

Multi-Family/Commercial $375

 

Customer classification definitions for determining water connection and extension permit fees:

 

Single Family Residential – A unit providing housing for one household; with less than 25% of the building area used for business or commercial purposes.

 

Multi-Family Residential- A building or lot occupied by more than one household: contained within one building or several building within one complex. Examples of multi-family  units includes duplexes, four-plexes and up, apartments, condominiums, co-housing projects, and multiple structures on one lot (where units are normally rented or occupied for longer than one month at a time). Examples of units not considered as multi-family include  hotels, motels, B&B’s seasonal rooms/cabins (where units are routinely rented or occupied for less than one month at a time.)

 

Commercial - Any user not defined as Residential.

 

Water Rate Schedule.

 

All water utility services shall be billed according to the following schedule.  This schedule is for monthly water service and is in addition to any charges for connecting or disconnecting the service, installation of the service or any assessment of the improvements.

 

Rates

Water                      Table III

Customer  Classification

Monthly Service

Usage Charge/Gallon

Lift-Station Customer

$          19.00

$0.0109

Non-Lift-Station Customer

$          19.00

 

$0.0109

Multi-units (additional per unit)

$            5.00

 

Bulk Water

$          19.00

$0.0149

 

 

Customer classification definitions for determining water rates:

 

Bulk Water Customers: The bulk water customers are the resellers of water or water users who purchase water from the water plant directly and are not in the metered water distribution system.

 

Non-Bulk Customers: All customers who receive water from the metered water distribution system.

 

Multi-Units: An additional $5 monthly charge shall apply to each of the units of a building or lot occupied by more than one household or commercial entity contained within one building or several buildings within one complex. Examples of multi-family units include duplexes, four-plexes and up, apartments, condominiums, co-housing projects, and multiple structures on one lot (where units are normally rented or occupied for longer than one month at a time). Examples of units not considered as multi-family include hotels, motels, and B&B’s seasonal rooms/cabins (where units are routinely rented or occupied for less than one month at a time.)

 

This fee applies to all multi-unit structures defined in the sewer section of this for apartments, rental units or multi-unit buildings where each unit would have one or more restrooms and are intended to be rented on a monthly basis where there is only one meter installed, excluding a rental building restroom used for shared or public use.

 

Meter Size Deposits.

 

Size (inches)

Residential Users

Nonresidential Users

5/8

$75.00

$220.00

3/4

$80.00

$230.00

1

$90.00

$250.00

1-1/2

$115.00

$310.00

2

$150.00

$370.00

3

$220.00

$525.00

4

$310.00

$730.00

6

$520.00

$1,225.00

 

$750 meter deposit shall apply to metered fire hydrant connections. The deposit will be returned when the meter is returned undamaged. This deposit may be waived upon the recommendation of the Public Works Superintendent.

 

If a bulk water customer purchases a meter from the City for measuring the quantity of water purchased, it shall be exempt from the monthly meter service charge. It is the responsibility of the bulk water customer to maintain that meter so the City can accurately determine the amount of water being purchased. In the event the meter fails, it is the bulk water customer's responsibility, at its expense, to repair it or purchase a replacement meter from the City. The City may at any time test the meter for accuracy.

 

               PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of Homer, Alaska, this ___ day of June, 2014.

 

                                                                                                         CITY OF HOMER

 

                                                                                                         ________________________

                                                                                                         MARY E. WYTHE, MAYOR

ATTEST:

______________________________

JO JOHNSON, MMC, CITY CLERK

 

Fiscal Note: Revenue amounts defined in CY2014 budget.