HomeMy WebLinkAbout2803 Amending Utility Rates and Charges - Monthly Water Rates ORDINANCE NO. 2803
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND AMENDING
CHAPTER 13.05 UTILITY RATES AND CHARGES,
SECTION 13.05.030, MONTHLY WATER RATES
WHEREAS, the City Council recently divested the Tri-Area water system; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recently acquired the Glen Cove water system; and
WHEREAS, the City has had different water rates for customers inside the City
and outside the City; and
WHEREAS, some outside City water customers have water meters that may be
larger than needed for their water consumption; and
WHEREAS, the City has not commissioned an utility rate study for several
years; and
WHEREAS, the recent business changes have affected the operations of the
water system utility; and
WHEREAS, the current water utility rates were established prior to the
significant changes that has occurred in 2001 to the water system plant infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the City needs to determine the impacts of current business changes
on water rates to utility customers in order to fairly set water utility rates; and
WHEREAS, the City Council determines it appropriate pending further study
and review to modify the rates for customers adjacent to the City as set forth in this
Ordinance, with the intention that these new rates shall continue until a water utility rate
study is performed which shall determine the necessary water utility rates to properly
operate the utility.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Port Townsend does
ordain as follows:
Section 1. Those portions of Section 13.05.030 Monthly water rates are amended as
follows (strike is deleted, underline is new, and except as set forth, Section 13.05.030 is
not otherwise changed):
13.05.030 Monthly water rates.
The following monthly rates shall be charged by the city and collected by the finance
director for the use and furnishing of water service, all such rates and charges to be made
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and paid on a monthly basis. These rates will be for water usage starting on January 1,
2000, and billed in subsequent months:
A. Meter Charge. All water used, except for closed connection for fire protection, shall be
metered. Monthly service charges and standby fees shall be based on meter size and the
quantity of water provided to the customer and shall be paid regardless of whether the
service is on or off. The meter charge shall be based on the following schedule:
Inside ~ of City
City (Per r~:,,,v..j (Per (Tri-)mea)
Meter Size Month) ...v_,.~/t~'-'*h~ (Per Momh)
5/8 - 3/4" meter $13.00 $!9.00 $20.00
1" meter 30.00 43.00
1 - 1/4" meter 45.00 65.00 70.00
1-1/2" meter 60.00 87.00
1-3/4" meter 78.00 ! ! 2.00 ! 2 ! .00
2" meter 96.00 ! 39.00 ! 50.00
3" meter 181.00 260.00 28 ! .00
4" meter 301.00 ~
6" meter 603.00 866.00 934.00
8" meter 964.00 ~.,o~.~2ec nn !,494.00
Rates for customers outside the City corporate limits shall be the Inside City (Per Month)
Rate plus 10%
A manifold meter installed for irrigation purposes only shall not be subject to a meter
charge in addition to the charge for the main service meter.
B. Where meters for residential customers larger than five-eighths inch by three-quarter
inch have been installed for the convenience of the city, the customer shall be assessed a
meter charge only for the three-quarter inch rate.
C. Volume Charges. All water use for customers within the city shall be charged a
volume rate of $1.75 per 1,000 gallons or portion~ thereof, ....
limits customers outside the City corporate limits will be charged a volume rate of $1.92
$2.40 per 1,000 gallons or portions thereof, and ail water use fer customers in the
1. For i~igation meters inside the city, the meter charge shall be based on meter size with
a volme chmge of $1.75 per 1,000 gallons. For irrigation meters adjacent ta omside the
city, the meter ch~ge shall be based on meter size with a volume ch~ge of $1.92
per 1,000 gallons. ~ ~gatian ~,~o eutside afcity r,~_ ~ ~ .... ~o~ ~ea, ,h~ meter
2. Should there be a period d~ing which meter readings c~ot be obtained ~der a
no~al reading schedule, the volme charge shall be calculated by averaging the prior
consumption for the two months immediately preceding the period for which a meter
reading cabot be obtained. Ch~ges for the next month d~ing which actual meter
readings ~e t~en shall be adjusted for the difference between the average and the actual
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metered volume for the two-month period involved together with the appropriate meter
rate. Where there is a circumstance which, in the reasonable judgment of the finance
director, would make the volume charge calculation erroneous, the volume charge shall
be established under such other method as the finance director deems reasonable and fair.
D. Water Charge Method. Meter reading shall be done on a monthly basis.
E. Private Fire Protection. Monthly service charges for private fire protection systems
shall be as follows:
Inside City T~;_ A ~a~ P;f,~ I ;m;+o
4" 18.00 25.00 25.00
6" 36.00 5!.00 5!.00
Rates for customers outside the City corporate limits shall be the same as Inside City (Per
Month) Rate
F. Commercial and Contract Customers. The monthly meter charges for commercial and
contract customers inside the city shall be the same as provided in subsection A of this
section with an additional volume charge of $1.75 per 1,000 gallons used unless a current
contract specifically provides for an alternative rate schedule. Commercial and contract
customers located adjacent to outside the city limits shall be charged a volume charge of
$2.40 $1.92 per 1,000 gallons used unless a current contract specifically provides for an
alternative rate schedule. Commercial and contract customers located outside the city
.................. v ......... ~ prey ¢~, ~. a!temative rate
G. Rates for 2001 t~ough 2004. The water meter and volme ch~ges listed in this
section will ch~ge on ~ ~ual basis be~een 2001 and 2004 in accord~ce with the
following schedule. Each figure represents the percentage by which the previous ye~'s
rate must be ch~ged to obtain ch~ges for the cu~ent year. The percentage applies
propo~ionately to both meter ~d volume charges as well as private fire protection,
except that rates may be rounded in a ma~er which approximates the weighted average
percentage ch~ge:
Rate Change Index 2001 2002 2003 2004
T,-;_A,-,~o Iw, A~v ~ f~O/~ A /~0/~ 1 ":10/~ "~ f~O/_
A A;o,-,,~,-,+ +r, f'~;+,, T,~A,~v ~ f~O/~ K /hO/~ I '20/~ "~ /30/A
c,a,, All Customers Index 0.0% 6.0% 1.3% -2.0%
Section 2. The City Manager is authorized to adopt regulations, including reasonable
timeframes, providing for change out of water meters I%r water utility customers outside
the city area at no cost to the water utility customer.
Section 3. Severability. If any provision of this Ordinance or its application to any
person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the Ordinance, or the application
of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
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Section 4. This ordinance shall take effect five (5) days after its passage, approval
and publication in the form and manner provided by law. The rate change shall be
effective April 1, 2002.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, at a
regular meeting thereof, held this 1 st day of April, 2002.
Kees Ko'Iff, Mayo~
Attest:
-Pamela Kolacy, City Clerk(]
Approved as to form:
John Watts, City Attorney
4 Ordinance 2803