The Board of Supervisors is hereby authorized
and empowered to enter into a contract or contracts with Chester Water
Authority for the placement, replacement, operation, maintenance and
repair of fire hydrants in Chadds Ford Township and the maintenance
of water pressures approved by the Fire Insurance Underwriters of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania along certain highways, streets,
roads and alleys, within the Township to so as provide fire protection
service to and for nearby properties.
The monies necessary for fulfilling the contract
obligations with Chester Water Authority with respect to such present
and future fire hydrants and fire protection service shall be assessed
as follows: The Township Supervisors shall by resolution annually
assess, or cause to be assessed, the actual cost and expense of such
fire protection services by an equal assessment upon all properties,
whether or not exempt from taxation by existing law, abutting upon
said highways, streets, roads and alleys, or portions thereof, and
upon properties within 780 feet of any fire hydrant benefited thereby
based upon the assessment of property for county purposes. No such
assessment shall be levied against any farm land or land used as an
aviation field or against other property not benefited thereby. Such
assessment, including an amount equal to the cost of collection, shall
be collected in the same manner as taxes. (The Township Tax Collector
shall receive the same commission as received on the Township tax.)
The Township Treasurer shall receive all such assessments collected
for fire protection and keep the same in a separate account and shall
pay the same out only upon orders signed by the Chairman of the Board
of Supervisors, attested by the Township Secretary. The Township Treasurer
shall make a report to the Auditors of the Township annually.
The assessment for fire protection service shall
be billed on the annual Township real estate tax bill and shall be
separately stated thereon.