[Adopted 3-12-2019 by Ord. No. 19-012]
There is hereby established in the City of Paterson (the "City") a municipal public sewer utility, which utility shall be publicly owned and shall for accounting purposes be a separate utility, having its own borrowing capacity, its own separate accounts and its own separate property, whether it be real, personal or mixed. The name by which the utility shall be known shall be "The City of Paterson Sewer Utility."
The sewer system shall be operated by the City as a municipal public utility to be operated pursuant to the provisions of the Local Budget Law, codified at N.J.S.A. 40A:4-1 et seq., the Local Bond Law, codified at N.J.S.A. 40A:2-1 et seq., and the Municipal and County Sewerage Act, codified at N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-1 et seq., and any successor statutes, and as otherwise provided by law. All rents, rates, fees and other charges shall continue to be provided for in the Code of the City of Paterson. All rents, rates, fees or other charges received by the City in connection therewith shall be kept in funds separate from other City revenues, to be used only for the purposes of such municipal public sewer utility.
The Sewer Utility shall have all powers and authority as provided for in the Local Budget Law, codified at N.J.S.A. 40A:4-1 et seq., and the Municipal and County Sewerage Act, codified at N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-1 et seq., and any successor statutes, and as otherwise authorized by law.
The Sewer Utility shall be under the direct control of the Finance Director, and his or her designees. In turn, the authority of the Finance Director to control the Sewer Utility shall be subject to the authority of the Mayor and Council, to the same extent that the general operations of the Department of Finance are subject to such authority under the laws of this state.
[Added 2-23-2021 by Ord. No. 21-006]
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, retroactive to the end of calendar year 2020 the Sewer Utility shall cease to exist as a self-liquidating (i.e., financially self-sufficient) entity, such that all rents, rates, fees or other charges received by the City in connection with sewers shall no longer be kept separate from other City revenues, and such that sewer expenses shall be paid as all other municipal expenses.