[Ord. No. 97-04-07-07 § 1, 5-5-1997; Ord. No. 2005-03-14-02 § 1, 3-14-2005]
It is determined and declared necessary and conducive to the
protection of the public health, safety, welfare and convenience of
the City to collect charges from all users who contribute wastewater
to the City's treatment works. Such expenses shall be charged to and
shall constitute a debt incurred by the owner of the property as identified
in the records of the Jackson County Assessor's office. The proceeds
of such charges so derived will be used for the purpose of operating,
maintaining and retiring the debt for such public wastewater treatment
works.
[Ord. No. 2017-2937 § 1, 12-26-2017]
A.
A person desiring to obtain sewer service shall make application
to establish a sewer account.
B.
Sewerage services shall be deemed to be furnished to both the occupant
and owner of the premises receiving such service, and the City shall
have power to use the occupant or owner, or both, of such real estate
in a civil action to recover any sums due for such services plus a
reasonable attorney's fee to be fixed by the court.
C.
When the occupant is delinquent in payment for thirty (30) days,
the City shall make a good faith effort to notify the owner of the
premises receiving such service of the delinquency and the amount
thereof. When an occupant is delinquent more than ninety (90) days,
the owner shall not be liable for sums due for more than ninety (90)
days of service. Any notice of termination of service shall be sent
to both the occupant and owner of the premises receiving such service.
D.
If neither an occupant (if applicable) nor the owner has established
a sewer account, then the owner will nonetheless be responsible for
establishing a sewer account and paying the sewer charges and deposit.
[Ord. No. 97-04-07-07 § 1, 5-5-1997; Ord. No. 2008-04-14-01 § 1, 4-14-2008]
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meanings
of terms used in this Article shall be as follows:
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation
of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five (5)
days at twenty degrees Celsius (20° C.), expressed in milligrams
per liter (mg/l).
Any non-residential user whose discharge into the sewage
facilities originates from a structure or premises in which commercial
activities are taking place.
Any non-residential user whose discharge into the sewage
facilities originates from a structure or premises in which industrial
activities are taking place.
Wastewater that has a BOD concentration of not more than
two hundred fifty (250) mg/l and a suspended solids concentration
of not more than three hundred (300) mg/l.
All expenditures during the useful life of the treatment
works for materials, labor, utilities, and other items which are necessary
for managing and maintaining the sewage works to achieve the capacity
and performance for which such works were designed and constructed.
Expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories,
or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the
treatment works to maintain the capacity and performance for which
such works were designed and constructed. The term "operation and
maintenance" includes replacement.
Any contributor to the City's treatment works whose lot,
parcel of real estate, or building is used for domestic dwelling purposes
only.
Is mandatory; MAY: Is permissive.
The solids that either float on the surface of or are in
suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids and which are removable
by laboratory filtering.
Any devices and systems for the storage, treatment, recycling,
and reclamation of municipal sewage, domestic sewage, or liquid industrial
wastes. These include interceptor sewers, outfall sewers, sewage collection
systems, individual systems, pumping, power, and other equipment and
their appurtenances; extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions
and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a reliable
recycled supply such as standby treatment units and clear well facilities;
and any works, including site acquisition of land that will be an
integral part of the treatment process or is used for ultimate disposal
of residues resulting from such treatment; or any other method or
system for preventing, abating, reducing, storing, treating, separating,
or disposing of municipal waste or industrial waste, including waste
in combined storm water and sanitary sewer systems.
The estimated period during which the treatment works will
be operated.
The total wastewater service charge which is levied in a
proportional and adequate manner for the cost of debt service, operation,
maintenance, and replacement of the wastewater conveyance and treatment
works.
A water volume measuring and recording device, furnished
and/or installed by the City of Greenwood or furnished and/or installed
by a user and approved by the City of Greenwood.
[Ord. No. 97-04-07-07 § 1, 5-5-1997]
A.
The user charge system shall generate adequate annual revenues to
pay the costs of annual operation and maintenance including replacement
and cost associated with debt retirement of bonded capital associated
with financing the treatment works which the City may by ordinance
designate to be paid by the user charge system. That portion of the
total user charge which is designated for operation and maintenance
including replacement of the treatment works shall be established
by this Article.
[Ord. No. 97-04-07-07 § 1, 5-5-1997; Ord. No. 2003-12-22-04 § 1, 12-22-2003; Ord. No. 2004-12-13-01 § 1, 12-13-2004; Ord. No. 2007-02-26-04 § 1, 2-26-2007; Ord. No. 2007-06-25-05 § 1, 6-25-2007; Ord. No. 2008-04-14-01 § 2, 4-14-2008; Ord. No. 2011-10-25-10 § 1, 10-25-2011; Ord. No. 2013-06-27-01 § 1, 6-27-2013; Ord. No. 2014-2878 § 1, 10-28-2014; Ord. No. 2020-3006, 11-10-2020; Ord. No. 2021-3034, 12-4-2021]
A.
Sewer user charges are based on water use data available from the
water district that provides service and are the best estimate of
the extent to which a property owner has used the sewer treatment
and collection system. The quantity of sewage discharge into the public
sewer system shall be assumed as equal to the quantity of water consumed
and shall be measured by the water meter measuring the entire flow
to the premises, except for separately metered water systems serving
appliances or facilities that are not in any manner connected to the
public sewer system.
B.
For residential customers, the City uses winter month (December, January and February) water use averages as the basis for sewer use charges All discharges to the sewer system have a water source. Because winter usage generally excludes outside water use, it is a reasonable estimate of sewer use. For new residential customers for which there is not a winter month water use history, the sewer bill will be the minimum billing amount, pursuant to Subsection (D) below, until such time as the winter month water use history is established.
C.
For commercial and industrial customers, the City will base the charges
on the average monthly water use for the preceding quarter. The City
will review water use averages and calculate sewer use charges on
a quarterly basis.
D.
The monthly sewer use charges for all users shall be as follows:
[Ord. No. 2022-3053, 11-8-2022; Ord. No. 2023-3069, 10-10-2023]
|
Amount of Water Usage
(in gallons)
|
Sewer Use Charge
|
|---|---|
|
1 — 4,225
|
$22.00 (minimum charge)
|
|
4,226 — 40,000
|
$5.20 per 1,000 gallons
|
|
40,001 or more
|
$1.30 per 1,000 gallons
|
|
In addition to the above charges, a sewer service connection
fee of twenty-four dollars and fifty cents ($24.50) per month shall
be charged and collected on each sewer connection within the sewer
system of the City in order to defray in part the cost of making available
facilities and works now or in the future necessary for sewage treatment
and for rendering bills for service. Such charge will be made regardless
of whether or not any sewage or waste is actually discharged to the
City sewer during the billing period.
|
E.
For those contributors which contribute wastewater, the strength
of which is greater than normal domestic sewage, a surcharge in addition
to the normal user charge may be collected. The surcharge for operation
and maintenance, including replacement, is:
Surcharges shall be calculated as outlined in the service contract
between the Little Blue Valley Sewer District (Middle Big Creek Subdistrict)
and the City of Greenwood, Missouri, dated September 15, 1995. At
this time, no surcharges apply.
F.
Any user which discharges any toxic pollutants which cause an increase
in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge from the City's
wastewater treatment, or any user which discharges any substance which
singly or by interaction with other substances causes identifiable
increases in the cost of operation, maintenance or replacement of
the treatment works, shall pay for such increased costs. The charge
to each user shall be as determined by the responsible City personnel
and approved by the Board of Aldermen.
G.
The user charge rates established in this Article apply to all users
of the City's wastewater system, regardless of the user's location.
[Ord. No. 5.100 Art. VIII, 9-14-1981; Ord. No. 5.100-A § 1, 5-17-1982; Ord. No. 5.100-C § 1, 7-7-1986; Ord. No. 5.100E § 1, 10-5-1992; Ord. No. 96-10-10-04, 11-4-1996; Ord. No.
97-04-07-07 § 1, 5-5-1997; Ord. No. 2007-06-11-03 § 1, 6-11-2007; Ord. No. 2007-06-25-05 § 2, 6-25-2007; Ord. No. 2007-11-26-02 § 1, 11-26-2007; Ord. No. 2008-04-14-01 § 3, 4-14-2008]
A.
All users shall be billed monthly. For commercial and industrial
users, the monthly bill shall reflect the previous month's water usage.
Billings for each month shall be made within twenty-one (21) days
after the end of that month. Payments are due when billings are made.
Any payment not received within twenty-one (21) days of the bill date
shall be delinquent.
B.
Accounts which are past due will be assessed a late charge of ten
percent (10%) per month.
[Ord. No. 2014-2878 § 1, 10-28-2014]
C.
Upon determination of delinquency by the City and after written request
of any such delinquent account has gone unanswered by a delinquent
owner, the Finance Director may:
[Ord. No. 2014-2878 § 1, 10-28-2014; Ord. No. 2017-2937 § 1, 12-26-2017]
D.
Sewer service may be discontinued (by water shutoff) by the City
for any of the following reasons:
[Ord. No. 2014-2878 § 1, 10-28-2014; Ord. No. 2017-2937 § 1, 12-26-2017]
1.
Non-payment of any sewer bill due and owing (i.e., delinquent
bill), provided however, that the City shall only disconnect sewer
service if the charges have been in arrears for more than three (3)
months and after the City has sent notice to the customer;
2.
Failure to protect and maintain the service pipe or fixtures
or plumbing fixtures and drainage system on the customer's property
in a condition satisfactory to the department;
3.
Molesting or tampering, by the customer or by others with the
knowledge of the customer, with any meter, meter seal, drainage system,
piping or any other device controlling or regulating the customer's
sewage flow;
4.
Failure to provide the City's employees free and reasonable
access to the premises served or for obstructing the way of ingress
to the meter or other appliances controlling or regulating the customer's
sewage flow.
E.
When sewer service to a customer has been discontinued for any of the reasons enumerated in Subsection (D), service will be renewed only after the circumstances which caused the service to be discontinued are corrected. The City may charge a disconnect/reconnect surcharge in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) which, in addition to all other delinquent amounts, must be satisfied before sewer service will be reconnected.
[Ord. No. 2008-04-14-01 § 4, 4-14-2008; Ord. No. 2014-2878 § 1, 10-28-2014; Ord. No. 2017-2937 § 1, 12-26-2017]
A.
A customer may request a modification of the monthly sewer use charge,
if the request is made to the City's Finance Director. A bill waiver
request shall be made on forms provided by the City's Finance Director,
and the Finance Director is authorized to require reasonable information
supporting the request.
B.
All applications will be investigated by the Finance Director or
other authorized City employee who shall review the application, report
and any other supporting documentation and make a decision as to whether
the evidence was sufficient to cause the Finance Director to reasonably
believe the customer's charges for a specific month did not accurately
reflect the amount of services effectively provided to the customer.
Nothing in this Section shall prevent the Finance Director or the
designee from immediately correcting billing errors when such errors
are not in dispute.
C.
The Finance Director shall be authorized to make adjustments to sewer
accounts consistent with accounting policies related to:
1.
Deposits.
2.
Special assessments.
3.
NSF check and NSF fees.
4.
Reconnection fees.
5.
Payments inadvertently applied to wrong account.
6.
Reverse penalties.
7.
Reverse refunds.
8.
State of Missouri as unclaimed cash to clear the account to
a zero balance and apply that balance to the liability account used
to record the check payable to the state.
9.
Recalculation of winter average.
10.
Such adjustments as the Board of Alderman may request upon its
approval.
D.
The Finance Director shall be authorized to remove uncollectible
accounts from utility records as bad debt.
[Ord. No. 97-04-07-07 § 1, 5-5-1997; Ord. No. 2008-04-14-2001 § 5, 4-14-2008]
A.
The City shall review the user charge system annually and revise
user charge rates as necessary to ensure that the system generates
adequate revenues to pay the costs of operation and maintenance including
replacement.
