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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2710 Suspending the Charge of a Monthly Base Fee for Irrigation MetersOrdinance No. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND AMENDING SECTION 13.05.030 PTMC, MONTHLY WATER RATES, TO ELIMINATE THE DATE PREVIOUSLY SET FOR CHARGING IRRIGATION METERS A MONTHLY BASE FEE, AND TO INDEFINITELY SUSPEND THE MONTHLY BASE. FEE UNTIL FURTHER .ACTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHEREAS, in April of 1997, the City Council adopted a new Title 13 to the Port Townsend Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, on October 20, 1997, Ordinance 2609, the City Council extended the date for requiring that irrigation meters are to be charged for a monthly fee, regardless of whether the service is turned on or off. By Ordinance 2658 adopted on August 17, 1998, the City Council again extended this date to September 1, 1999; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to indefinitely suspend the date, codified in lYrMC 13.05.030, for requiring that irrigation meters are to be charged a monthly base fee regardless of whether service is turned on or off, except for premises also served by a domestic tap, in order to' give the Public Works and the Finance Departments sufficient time to gather more information regarding the number and uses of irrigation taps in the City's water service area, the impact of the code change on customers and utility finances, to work out administrative procedures for associating irrigation taps with domestic water taps so as to be able to charge accounts correctly, and to enable the City Council to deliberate the merits of the base fee, NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Port Townsend ordains as follows: SECTION 1. Chapter 13.05, Utility rates and charges, Section 13.05.030, Monthly water rates, subsection C(3) is hereby amended to STRIKE the last sentence in subparagraph C.3 as follows: C. Volume Charges and Summer Use Surcharges. 3. For irrigation meters, inside the city, the meter charge shall be based on meter size with a volume charge of $1.75 per 1,000 gallons. For irrigation meters adjacent to the city, the meter charge shall be based on meter size with a volume charge of $2.20 per 1,000 gallons. For irrigation meters outside-of-city (Tri-Area) service area, the meter charge shall be based on meter size with a volume charge of $2.35 per 1,000 gallons. Beginning Sep~einber I, Ord. ~ '7/O 111 WIlI~ll %~U G IlIUIILIII~ U~m~U IUU WALL %YILI~ (Ord. __ § 1, 1999; Ord. 2658 § 1, 1998; Ord. 2622 § 1, 1997; Ord. 2609 § 3, 1997; Ord. 2579 § 1, 1997; Ord. 2496 § 1, 1995;Ord. 2488 § 1, 1995; Ord. 2445 § 1, 1995; Ord. 2434 § 2, 1994; Ord. 2389 § 1, 1993; Ord. 2381 § 1, 1993; Ord. 2341 § 1, 1993; Ord. 2289 § 2, 1992; Ord. 2068 § 2, 1987; Ord. 1979 § 4, 1983; Ord. 1941 § 2, 1982; Ord. 1830 § 1, 1979; Ord. 1789 § 2, 1977; Ord. 1601 § 4, 1970; Ord. 1471 § 1, 1965; Ord. 1372 § 1, 1959; Ord. 1172 § 1, 1944; Ord. 1110 § 22, 1939). SECTION 2. The monthly base fee for irrigation taps is suspended indefinitely, until further action of the City Council, adopted by ordinance. Prior to any further consideration of imposing a monthly base fee for irrigation taps, the City Council directs the City Manager to provide the City Council with a comprehensive analysis of the need for the monthly base fee, the benefits and detriments for the utility customers, and administrative staff, and the ramifications upon the Finance Department's billing system. SECTION 3. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this Ordinance or its application to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such order or judgment shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remainder of any part of this ordinance. To this end, the provisions of each clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this law are declared severable. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force five days after the date of its publication in the manner provided by law. Read for the first, second, and third times and passed by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, at a regular meeting thereof, held this c> L) day of .~'er.~.~ ~ ,1999. Forrest Rambo, Mayor 'Attest: Pam Kolacy, city Clerk 09/10/99 Ord\{ 1305030.wixl} ~cl~ahan, City Atto~y Ord.