[Amended 6-13-2007]
A.
Increased residential, commercial and industrial development,
ongoing and anticipated, within the Town of Bethel has created a need
to undertake capital improvements to the existing wastewater facilities
to accommodate and treat the increased wastewater flow directly produced
and generated by this increased development. These capital improvements
have created a cost which is separate and distinct from the normal
maintenance and upgrading repairs which benefit existing users.
B.
In order to assess these capital improvement costs
for increasing capacity fairly and equitably among those creating
this demand the Town hereby establishes a Sewer System Development
Charge, (referred to herein as "SSDC"). The proceeds from this charge
shall be applied as prescribed herein.
C.
The SSDC is the new or expanded municipal sewer users'
proportional share of outstanding debt, as of the end of the most
recently completed fiscal year, and incurred in the construction of
existing collection, pumping, transport, conveyance, treatment, and
disposal capacity. Examples of this capacity include pipes, mains,
manholes, pumping stations, and treatment plant. This charge is separate
and distinct from the physical connection costs, the sewer rate, other
sewer fees and any sewer extension costs. The SSDC is a fee for a
sewer connection permit and is a one-time charge.
A.
The SSDC, which is a sewer connection permit fee,
shall be due and payable by the property owner prior to the issuance
of a sewer connection permit, unless otherwise determined by the Selectmen,
for any new or additional expanded construction, renovation or change
in use that will be connected to an existing or proposed municipal
sanitary sewer. The SSDC shall also be charged when there is an additional
wastewater flow to the collection and treatment facilities resulting
from new or expanded construction, renovation or change in use and
no new physical sewer connection is involved and there is already
an existing sewer connection.
B.
The SSDC shall be established by the Selectmen and
shall be based upon the gallons of daily flow of wastewaters projected
to be generated by each use as established in the design criteria
of the Maine State Plumbing Code, Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules.
The wastewater flow of any use not included in this code shall be
determined by the CEO/LPI.
C.
The SSDC shall be calculated and determined by the
CEO/LPI as follows:
|
X
|
=
|
Gallons per Day of New Use
|
= New User Proportional Share Calculated to
6th Decimal
| |
|
Licensed Discharge Capacity of Treatment Plant
| ||||
|
Y = (Value of X) x (Outstanding Debt Incurred,
as described above)
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Y = SSDC
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D.
The SSDC may not be the only cost the property owner
will pay for a connection to the public sewer or for adding additional
sewage flow to the sewer system. The Town under other parts of this
chapter may assess fees for inspection, connection, sewer extension
and others.
E.
The SSDC may be refunded upon request of the owner
or applicant, under the following conditions:
(1)
No portion of the sewer connection permit or reserve
capacity has been used;
(2)
The permit has not expired as of the date a written
request for refund has been received at the Town office;
(3)
The right to receive a refund is only available to
the original applicant or owner heirs, assigns, or successors;
(4)
The applicant or owner forfeits the reserve capacity
in the sewer collection system.
The SSDC shall not apply to the treatment of
any wastewater flow from property owned by the Town of Bethel. All
other tax-exempt properties such as public or private schools, shall
be charged an SSDC wherever applicable.
A.
SSDC funds collected shall be utilized as follows:
(1)
All funds collected shall be applied against debt
service expenditures in the next fiscal year for the purpose of reducing
customer charges that would otherwise be levied for the purpose of
paying said debt service. It is recognized that existing multiyear
debt is structured to prohibit prepayment of principal and therefore
this method is the only alternative to address the impact of new users'
utilization of existing excess capacity.
(2)
In all cases, accounting practices shall identify
the amounts paid in by each user.
