2000-0560
INTRODUCED BY: ALBERT D LAQUE, PARISH PRESIDENT
(DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE)
ORDINANCE NO. ______________
Title
An Ordinance to amend the Parish Code of Ordinances to adjust the sewer use charge.
Body
WHEREAS, Gulf South Engineers, Inc. completed a sewer rate study for St. Charles Parish in March of 1997 which recommended that the sewer use charge be adjusted from the $1.80 per 1,000 gallons of water use established April 1, 1994 to $3.56 per 1,000 gallons of water use; and
WHEREAS, the St. Charles Parish Council did not implement the results of that sewer rate study; and
WHEREAS, the St. Charles Parish Council borrowed $47.3 million from the Municipal Facilities Revolving Loan Fund Program; and
WHEREAS, per the agreement with the Municipal Facilities Revolving Loan Fund, the St. Charles Parish Council agreed to collect revenues from users of the sewer system in proportion to their use sufficient to offset the cost of operation, maintenance, and replacement of equipment; and,
WHEREAS, Gulf South Engineers, Inc. completed an update of the sewer rate study for St. Charles Parish in July of 2000 which recommended that the sewer use charge be adjusted from the $1.80 per 1,000 gallons of water use established April 1, 1994 to $4.05 per 1,000 gallons of water use effective prior to the end of 2000; and increased $0.10 annually through 2003, and
WHEREAS, failure to collect the revenue required for the operation, maintenance, and replacement equipment in the wastewater system will result in violation of the loan agreement and have a negative impact on the parish's ability to bond future revenues;
THE ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION I. That Chapter 22 of the St. Charles Parish Code of Ordinances is hereby amended in Section 22-80. (1) (a) by deleting the existing section (a) first paragraph and replacing it with the following:
(a) "Volume rate charge: To cover the cost of operation and maintenance, and where necessary, capital improvements to the wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal system, a volume rate user charge is hereby established at $4.05 per 1,000 gallons of water use on January 1, 2001; $4.15 per 1,000 gallons of water use on February 1, 2002; and $4.25 per 1,000 gallons of water use on February 1, 2003."
SECTION I That Chapter 22 of the St. Charles Parish Code of Ordinances is hereby amended in Section 22-80. (1) (b) by deleting the existing section (b) first paragraph and billing formula and replacing it with the following:
(b) "Calculation of bills: Billing period charges for each account shall be calculated as follows:
(Wu x Ur x 80%) + 3.00 = Uc
SECTION II. That Chapter 22 of the St. Charles Parish Code of Ordinances is hereby amended in Section 22-80. (1) (a) by adding a paragraph between the first and second paragraphs to wit:
"Effective July 1, 2004 and annually thereafter the then current base and volume rate charges shall be adjusted by an Independent Auditor based on the actual cost of operation of the sewer system for the previous year by totaling all operating expenses as reported on the Enterprise Funds Combining Statement of Revenues, Expenses and Changes in Retained Earnings for the preceding financial reporting period and subtracting annual depreciation on plant and equipment with an estimated useful life of twenty (20) years or more, adding all legally required non-operating expenditures such as bond sinking fund transfers, and adding an estimated 15% operating residual as calculated in the 2000 Consolidated Waterworks and Wastewater Sewer user Rate Study prepared by Gulf South Engineers.
SECTION III. That if the voters approve the 1% Sales Tax Proposition on April 7, 2001, the "Volume Rate Charge" Section of this ordinance (Section I above - Section 22-80(1)(a) of the Code) shall be null and void on the effective date of the levy of the one-percent sales tax, at which time the Volume Rate Charge shall revert to the rate levied on December 31, 2000.
Vote
The foregoing Ordinance having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
And the Ordinance was declared adopted on this, the ________day of _____________, 2000 to become effective five (5) days after publication in the Official Journal.
LRT/dg
CHAIRMAN:______________________________________________
SECRETARY:_____________________________________________
DLVD/PARISH PRESIDENT:_________________________________
APPROVED:______________ DISAPPROVED:__________________
PARISH PRESIDENT:______________________________________
RETD/SECRETARY:_______________________________________
AT:_______________RECD BY: _____________________________