A.
There is hereby established a sewer connection fee which shall be imposed upon the owner or system user so connected, which fee shall be due and payable as a condition precedent to the issuance by the Township of the sewer connection permit required by § 150-9B.
B.
The sewer connection fee shall be established annually, after public
hearing, in the manner provided by N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-11, as amended
or supplemented, and the service agreement.
There is hereby established a sewer service charge system for
the use, operation, maintenance and replacement of the municipal wastewater
treatment plant and collection system of the Township of Knowlton
to be imposed upon each user at the rates established annually by
resolution.
A.
The Mayor and Committee shall review, not less often than annually,
the total funds necessary to be raised pursuant to the service agreement,
the costs of operation and maintenance of the collection system, and
the administrative costs to operate the System. In order to establish
the sewer service charge the Mayor and Committee shall review the
charges for users or user classes and establish by resolution, the
following:
(1)
Rates for use and services of the system which shall be uniform and
equitable for the same types and classes of use and services.
(2)
In fixing rates, the Mayor and Committee shall establish a rate structure
that allows, within the limits of any lawful covenants made with bond
holders, the Township to:
(a)
Recover all costs of acquisition, construction or operation,
including the costs of raw materials, administration, real or personal
property, maintenance, taxes, debt services charges, fees, the amounts
due under the service agreement, administrative costs, including professional
fees, and an amount equal to any operating budget deficit occurring
in the immediately preceding fiscal year.
(b)
Establish a surplus in an amount sufficient to provide for the
reasonable anticipation of any contingency that may affect the operating
of the system and, at the discretion of the Township, allow for the
transfer of moneys from the budget for the system to the local budget
in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:4-35.1.
B.
The owner of each property connected to the system shall pay to the
Township the annual sewer service charge within 30 days of the date
of invoice.
The owner of every dwelling, house, tenement, building, factory
or lot within the Township shall be liable to the Township of Knowlton
for the payment of a sewer service charge for the use of the system
by the owner or system users for the use or occupancy of any dwelling,
house, tenement, building, factory or lot, together with interest
and penalties, as established by this chapter. It is the intention
of the Township that all owners, specifically including by way of
illustration and not by way of limitation, persons, corporations,
private entities, schools, governmental entities and tax exempt institutions
and organizations, be liable for sewer service charges herein established.
The failure of a system user to pay any costs or charges provided
for in this chapter shall not excuse the owner for liability therefor,
even if the system user is billed separately from the owner.
A.
Payment of charges for connection to or use of the system shall be
made to the Township of Knowlton Municipal Sewer Utility or its duly
authorized agent.
B.
In the event that any check tendered for the payment of municipal
sewer charges is returned to the TOKMSU for insufficient funds or
is dishonored by the bank upon which it is drawn, there shall be assessed
to the account of the system user a service charge in the amount of
$20 for the handling of said check. If the cost to the Township for
the return of the check unpaid is greater than the fee established
herein, whatever that greater amount shall be, the Township of Knowlton
shall be entitled to demand and receive the amount of the return check
fee. That $20, and any additional return check fees as provided herein,
shall become a lien against the property in question in the same manner
as delinquent sewer bills in the Township of Knowlton.
C.
Subsequent payments for persons who have had their checks returned
for insufficient funds or dishonored by their bank may be required
by the Municipal Sewer Utility Collector to be made by cash, certified
check or cashier's check for all future payments.
A.
The sewer service charge, sewer connection fee and all other costs
and expenses, interest and penalties imposed under this chapter shall
be and remain a lien upon the property served until fully paid and
satisfied.
B.
If prompt payment shall not be made when due and shall remain in
arrears for more than 45 days, the Township Treasurer shall file a
statement showing the arrears in the payment for all such charges
which shall be a lien upon the real estate served by the system to
the same extent as taxes are a lien upon real estate and shall be
collected and enforced by the appropriate official in the municipality
where the property is located in the same manner as liens for taxes.
C.
In addition to any remedies provided for herein, in the event that
any charge for connection to or use of the system by properties located
outside of the Township shall not be paid as and when due, the unpaid
balance thereof and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs may
be recovered by the Township Treasurer against the owner in a civil
action or through such other means as provided by law.
D.
In the event that the sewer service charge, sewer connection fee
and any other cost, expense, interest or penalties remain unpaid for
a period of three months, the Township may, in addition to any other
remedies that it may have, terminate service to the delinquent property
upon 30 days' written notice to the owner and any tenants located
in said property. Notice to the owner shall be accomplished by sending
a copy to the owner's known property tax address by regular mail
or by posting notice on the property. Notice shall also be sent to
the Health Officer of the municipality in which the property is located.
A.
The Township Treasurer shall be responsible for preparation of bills
for the sewer service charges and other charges hereunder provided.
The Mayor and Committee may enter into contracts to obtain outside
assistance to assist the Township Treasurer in the preparation and
mailing of bills.
B.
All bills for sewer service charges shall be mailed via the United
States Postal Service to the owner at the address listed on the tax
records of the municipality where the property is located unless the
owner makes written application to the Township Treasurer not later
than 15 days before any bill is sent, requesting that the statement
be sent to the tenant or system user for payment directly by the tenant.
A.
The applicant shall reimburse the Township for all reasonable and
customary engineering fees, inspection costs and/or other expenses
incurred as a result of examining and processing a sewer connection
application. The applicant shall submit payment within 15 days after
the submission of a statement to the applicant.
B.
All inspection fees in the sum of $75 shall be paid by the owner
or his agent for each inspection or reinspection performed by representatives
of the Township with respect to the connection to the system or other
installations or improvements installed pursuant to this chapter.
