05-E Water-Sewer Rate OrdBACKGOUND INFORMATION
WORDING CHANGES & ADDITIONS
WATER & SEWER ORDINANCES
The following recommendations are requested to improve the efficiency of operations or
formalize practices that have been done administratively for many years. A brief
explanation of each item is given below.
Section 34-29 (a) proposes a$5.00 delinquency fee for accounts that are still delinquent
21 days past the billing date. The goal is to encourage people to make utility payments
prior to having their service discontinued for non-payment which occurs 21 days past the
billing date. Cutoff days require two or three people all day to complete depending on the
size of the list. With the two meter readers are reading routes or on vacation, I am forced
to borrow employees from Public Works. This disrupts their operations. Such a
delinquency fee is common practice with other cities.
Section 34-30 changes the word "reconnection" to "service". When service is
disconnected for non-payment, a tag is placed on the door notifying the resident that
service has been discontinued, states the amount of delinquency, and informs them that a
$10.00 reconnect fee will be charged. What happens is that a person finds this notice,
turns their water service back on, and then claims that the City did not actually cut their
water off. They argue that they should not have to pay a"reconnection" fee. By changing
the wording, I hope to eliminate such attempts to avoid paying a fee that is rightfully due.
Section 34-31 formalizes three administrative practices that have been around for over 30
years. I have people from time to time wish to see the procedure in writing and this will
give the practices some formal status. All three procedures have been allowed as a
convenience to citizens who temporarily need water service but do not wish to go through
the formal process of putting up a water deposit or sometimes a second water deposit.
DRAFT
F:ALICE\RFSWORK\CURRENT\ Water & Sewer Rate Ord 2004
July 6, 2004
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS,
PARIS, TEXAS, PROVIDING THAT THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CITY
OF PARIS, BE AMENDED BY REVISING SUBSECTIONS (b) AND (c) OF
SECTION 34-22 OF SAID CODE TO ESTABLISH WATER RATES FOR
RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS THAT
ARE BASED UPON THE COST TO SERVE EACH CLASS; REVISING
SUBSECTION (a) OF SECTION 34-23 TO ESTABLISH A SEWER
SERVICE RATE FOR CITY WATER CUSTOMERS; REVISING
SUBSECTION (a) OF SECTION 34-29 OF SAID CODE TO ESTABLISH A
DELINQLTENCY FEE; REVISING SUBSECTION (a) OF SECTION 34-30 OF
SAID CODE TO REFERENCE A SERVICE FEE; ADOPTING A NEW
SECTION 34-33 TO SAID CODE, ENTITLED SPECIAL SERVICE
ARRANGEMENTS, TO AUTHORIZE THE WATER BILLING OFFICE
MANAGER OR THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, AT THEIR DISCRETION,
AND LTNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN
SPECIAL SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY
NOT TO EXCEED $2,000.00; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS
OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND PROVIDING FOR
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, on the 14th day of June, 2004, the City Council of the City of Paris, Paris,
Texas, received a water and sewer rate study prepared by R. W. Beck, Inc., with certain findings
and proposed rate increases for water and sewer; NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS:
Section 1. That the findings set out in the preamble to this ordinance are hereby in all
things approved.
Section 2. That Subsections (b) and (c) of Section 34-22 of the Code of Ordinances of the
City of Paris, Paris, Texas, be, and the same are hereby, amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 34-22. Water rates.
"(b) Charges for water furnished by the City, measured in cubic feet, are
established as follows based upon customer class and meter size and incorporate
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a base monthly cost which includes the cost for the first increment of water, and
a cost per one hundred (100) cubic feet or portion of one hundred (100) cubic feet
used above the first increment:
RESIDENTIAL CLASS
BASE COST FOR FIRST SERVICE IN
METER SIZE INCREMENT EXCESS OF BASE
(Inches) (In Cubic Feet) (For Each Additional 100 Cubic Feet)
5/8 through 3/4
1 and Larger
METER SIZE
(Inches)
5/8 through 3/4
1 through 2
Larger than 2
$7.35 for first 200 $2.57
$35.70 for first 1,000 $2.57
COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL CLASS
BASE COST FOR FIRST
INCREMENT
(In Cubic Feet)
SERVICE IN
EXCESS OF BASE
(For Each Additional 100 Cubic Feet)
$8.93 for first 200
$35.70 for first 1,000
$126.00 for first 3,000
$2.57
$2.10
$2.10
"(c) An optional charge for water furnished by the City, measured in cubic feet,
to customers serviced by meters greater than three (3) inches in size, the minimum
monthly charge of which is guaranteed by the customer for a minimum period of
one (1) year, is established as follows:
COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL CLASS
BASE COST FOR FIRST SERVICE IN
METER SIZE INCREMENT EXCESS OF BASE
(Inches) (In Cubic Feet) (For Each Additional 100 Cubic Feet)
4 $2,100.00 for first 100,000 $2.10
6 $3,150.00 for first 150,000 $2.10
8 and larger $4,200.00 for first 200,000 $2.10"
Section 3. That Subsection (a) of Section 34-23 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of
Paris, Paris, Texas, be, and the same is hereby, amended to read as follows:
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"Sec. 34-23. Sewer rates - For customers using City water.
"(a) Charges for sewer service furnished by the City to residential, commercial
and industrial customers shall be based upon customer class and meter size,
incorporating a base monthly cost for the first increment of usage and a cost for
each additional one hundred (100) cubic feet or portion of one hundred (100) cubic
feet above the first increment, as follows:
RESIDENTIAL CLASS
METER SIZE
(Inches)
BASE COST FOR FIRST
INCREMENT
In Cubic Feet)
SERVICE IN
EXCESS OF BASE
(For Each Additional 100 Cubic Feet)
5/8 through 3/4
1 and Larger
METER SIZE
(Inches)
5/8 through 3/4
1 through 2
Larger than 2
$7.98 for first 200
$38.33 for first 1000
$3.47
$3.47
COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL CLASS
BASE COST FOR FIRST
INCREMENT
(In Cubic Feet)
SERVICE IN
EXCESS OF BASE
(For Each Additional 100 Cubic Feet)
$11.13 for first 200
$38.33 for first 1000
$72.45 for first 2,000
$3.62
$3.62
$3.62"
Section 4. That Subsection (a) of Section 34-29 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of
Paris, Paris, Texas, be, and the same is hereby, amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 34-29. Billing; when and where payable.
"(a) The division sha11 render bills for readiness-to-serve and water service or
for sewer service furnished by the City to any person on a monthly basis, with such
billing being rendered on or about the same day each month. Bills and accounts
shall be due and payable on or before the 10' day following the billing date and
shall become delinquent on the 11' day after such billing date. A water bill which
remains delinquent twenty-one (21) days from the billing date will incur a
delinquency fee of $5.00.
„
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Section 5. That Subsection (a) of Section 34-30 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of
Paris, Paris, Texas, be, and the same is hereby, amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 34-30. Discontinuance of water service for failure to pay and right of
hearing in connection of same.
"(a) If any person sha11 fail to pay for water service or for sewer service
rendered to such person by the City before the expiration of ten (10) days after the
date on which such bill is due and payable, the water service of such person shall
be discontinued, and such service shall not again be resumed until such person shall
have paid the delinquent water and sewer bill in full, together with a service fee of
ten dollars ($10). It sha11 be unlawful for any person, other than a duly authorized
employee of the City, to reconnect such service.
„
Section 6. That Article II of Chapter 34 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Paris,
Paris, Texas sha11 be and the same is hereby, amended to add a new Section 34-33, entitled
Special Service Arrangements, to read as follows:
"Sec. 34-33. Special service arrangements.
"The Water Billing Office Manager or the Director of Finance may, at their
discretion and when justified by appropriate circumstances, authorize the following
special service arrangements:
"(a) A customer with an active, non-delinquent account may be permitted to
have a second water connection at a separate service location for a period of time
not to exceed ten (10) days for the purposes of cleaning or repairing the second
location without being required to post a second water deposit. Before such special
arrangements may be made, the water customer must make a request for such
arrangement in writing to the Water Billing Office Manager or the Director of
Finance. If such a request is authorized, the additional ten (10) day period of
service at the separate location sha11 constitute a separate billing period, subject to
all minimum billing provisions and an additional service fee of twenty dollars
($20.00).
"(b) With the prior approval of the Water Billing Office Manager or the Director
of Finance, water service may be provided for a six (6) hour period for the purpose
of a third party inspection required in the sale or the purchase of a home, provided
a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) is paid in advance.
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"(c) With the prior approval of the Water Billing Office Manager or the
Director of Finance, a customer with an active non-delinquent account may be
allowed to transfer to a new address with utility service while continuing service
at the former address for a period of time not to exceed ten (10) days without
having to post a second water deposit. The ten (10) day period of continued
service at the former address authorized herein shall be considered a separate
billing period, subject to a11 minimum billing provisions if the ten (10) day period
runs past the regularly scheduled billing period for the former address. "
Section 7. That the rates established in Sections 2 and 3 above shall be effective with
billings beginning August 1, 2004.
Section 8. That any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be guilty
of a Misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, sha11 be fined in any sum not to exceed $2,000.00, and
each and every day's continuance of any violation of this ordinance shall constitute and be deemed
a separate offense.
Section 9. That all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby
expressly repealed.
Section 10. That this ordinance shall become effective on August 1, 2004.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 12th day of July, 2004.
Curtis Fendley, Mayor
ATTEST:
Mattie Cunningham, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Larry W. Schenk, City Attorney
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