2015-0224
INTRODUCED BY: V.J. ST. PIERRE, JR., PARISH PRESIDENT
(DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, DEPARTMENT OF WATERWORKS, DEPARTMENT OF WASTEWATER)
ORDINANCE NO. ____________
Title
An ordinance to amend the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10. Garbage and Trash, Article II. Uniform Solid Waste Management System, Section 10-22. Service charge, (c) Administrative Fee; Chapter 22. Sewers and Sewage Disposal, Article IV, General Sewer Use Regulations, Section 22-80. User charges and connection charges; and Chapter 23. Water, Article I. In General, Section 23-3. Water user charges (c), (d) & (e), to restructure sewer, water, non-domestic, and solid waste user fees.
Body
WHEREAS, the rates for Wastewater are currently set by the Parish President and should be put into the code and adjusted annually; and,
WHEREAS, the public approved a millage renewal for wastewater which will provide annual revenue to the department and assist in lowering sewer rates for all users; and,
WHEREAS, a non-domestic waste program was established to monitor and limit the amount of non-domestic waste being introduced into the sanitary sewer system and the MINOR classification is being removed since a commercial wastewater rate is being established in this ordinance; and,
WHEREAS, the user rates for water have not been significantly adjusted in ten years; and,
WHEREAS, the settlement with our solid waste provided for an increase of $1.57 per month and the user charge has not been increased to reflect the settlement; and,
WHEREAS, the administrative fee for solid waste has not been adjusted in decades and should be established by the administration annually; and,
WHEREAS, on January 1, 2016, the total increase contained within this ordinance to the average user will be 1% compared to their monthly bill in 2015 and establishes an annual adjustment to all fees on January 1 of each year instead of throughout the year.
THE ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION I. That the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10. Garbage and Trash, Article II. Uniform Solid Waste Management System, Section 10-22. Service charge, (c) Administrative Fee is hereby amended to read as follows:
Sec. 10-22. - Service charge.
(c) Administrative Fee: In addition to the service charge levied in subsection (a), an administrative fee, not to exceed the amount recommended by an independent consultant based on the actual cost to process the user fees for the solid waste fund by the Waterworks Department, shall be added to each bill which is assessed by the waterworks department.
SECTION II. That the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 22. Sewers and Sewage Disposal, Article IV, General Sewer Use Regulations, Section 22-80. User charges and connection charges be amended by revising (1) (a), (b), and (e):
Sec. 22-80. User charges and connection charges.
(1) (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 $7.86 (80 percent of $7.86 equals $6.29) per 1,000 gallons of water use on January 1, 2016; $7.81 (80 percent of $7.81 equals $6.25) per 1,000 gallons of water use on January 1, 2017; $7.71 (80 percent of $7.71 equals $6.17) per 1,000 gallons of water use on January 1, 2018.
The user charges established herein shall be adjusted on January 1 of each year in an amount equal to the Consumer Price Index, applicable to all urban consumers, as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Said adjustment shall be equal to the net percentage change in the CPI for the preceding 12 month period ending September 30. Said annual adjustments shall begin effective January 1, 2019.
The user charges stated above were established based on the formula Ca = Ct/Vt where:
Ca =Annual user charge rate.
Ct =Total annual O,M, and R costs.
Vt =Total annual volume.
(b) Calculation of bills for residential users.
1. Residential users.
a. Billing period charges for each account shall be calculated as follows:
(Wu x Ur x 80%) + M = Uc
Where:
|
Wu |
= |
Water use in 1,000's of gallons during the billing period as determined by parish's department of waterworks. |
|
Ur |
= |
User charge rate in dollars per 1,000 gallons of use. |
|
Uc |
= |
Billing period sewer use charge. |
|
80% |
= |
The percentage of water usage which enters the wastewater system. |
|
M |
= |
Minimum monthly charge |
The minimum monthly charge for all users shall be four dollars ($4.00) and shall be increased by one percent each year on January 1
b. Residences with a second residential meter for irrigation. Those users who have applied for a second residential meter for irrigation for the external consumption of water which does not enter the wastewater system prior to January 31, 2014, the billing period charges for the residential meter account shall be calculated as follows:
(Wu x Ur x 90%) + M = Uc
Those users who apply for a second residential meter for irrigation for the external consumption of water which does not enter the wastewater system after January 31, 2014 or if water service is reinstated at current address with a new account, the billing period charges for the residential meter account shall be calculated as follows:
(Wu x Ur) + M = Uc
Where:
|
Wu |
= |
Water use in 1,000's of gallons during the billing period as determined by the parish's department of waterworks. |
|
Ur |
= |
User charge rate in dollars per 1,000 gallons of use. |
|
Uc |
= |
Billing period sewer use charge. |
|
M |
= |
Minimum monthly charge |
The minimum monthly charge for all users shall be four dollars ($4.00) and shall be increased by one percent each year on January 1.
2. Calculation of bills for commercial users. All billing period charges for standard meter account shall be calculated as follows:
(Wu x Ur x 95%) + M = Uc
Where:
|
Wu |
= |
Water use in 1,000's of gallons during the billing period as determined by parish's department of waterworks. |
|
Ur |
= |
User charge rate in dollars per 1,000 gallons of use. |
|
Uc |
= |
Billing period sewer use charge. |
|
95% |
= |
Percentage of water usage that shall be calculated in sewer use charge. |
|
M |
= |
Minimum monthly charge |
Calculation of bills for industrial users. All billing period charges for standard meter account shall be calculated as as follows:
(Wu x Ur) + M = Uc
Where:
|
Wu |
= |
Water use in 1,000's of gallons during the billing period as determined by parish's department of waterworks. |
|
Ur |
= |
User charge rate in dollars per 1,000 gallons of use. |
|
Uc |
= |
Billing period sewer use charge. |
|
M |
= |
Minimum monthly charge |
The minimum monthly charge for all users shall be four dollars ($4.00) and shall be increased by one percent each year on January 1.
(e) Fee Schedule for non-domestic discharge permit; user fees:
1. Application fee: $100.00
2. Permit Fee:
Major Facility Fee: $67.00 per month
Permit fee will be applied to the user’s monthly water bill. Major status will be listed on the front page of permit under “CLASS.”
3. User Fee:
Volume Range (Gallons per month) Price per Gallon
0-12,000 $180 (flat fee)
12,001-50,000 $0.015
50,001 - above $0.0175
SECTION III. That the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 23. Water, Article I. In General, Section 23-3. Water user charges (c), (d) & (e) are hereby amended to read as follows:
(c) The in-parish water user charge shall be adjusted effective January 1, 2016 as follows:
$3.40 per 1,000 gallons (0 to 6,000 gallons of use)
$5.00 per 1,000 gallons (Above 6,000 to 10,000 gallons of use)
$6.40 per 1,000 gallons (Above 10,000 gallons of use)
The above user charges shall be increased by $.10 per thousand gallons effective January 1st of both 2017 and 2018.
(d) The out-of-parish water user charge shall be adjusted effective January 1, 2016 as follows:
$3.40 per 1,000 gallons (0 to 6,000 gallons of use)
$5.00 per 1,000 gallons (Above 6,000 to 10,000 gallons of use)
$6.40 per 1,000 gallons (Above 10,000 gallons of use)
The above user charges shall be increased by $.10 per thousand gallons effective January 1, 2017 and 2018.
(e) Effective January 1, 2019, the water user charges established herein shall be adjusted on January 1 of each year in an amount equal to the Consumer Price Index, applicable to all urban consumers, as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Said adjustment shall be equal to the net percentage change in the CPI for the preceding 12 month period ending September 30.
The foregoing ordinance having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
And the ordinance was declared adopted this day of , 2015, to become effective five (5) days after publication in the Official Journal.
CHAIRMAN:______________________________________________
SECRETARY:_____________________________________________
DLVD/PARISH PRESIDENT:_________________________________
APPROVED:______________ DISAPPROVED:__________________
PARISH PRESIDENT:______________________________________
RETD/SECRETARY:_______________________________________
AT:_______________ RECD BY: _____________________________