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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2008-20Suggested by: City Manager CITY OF KENAI RESOLUTION NO. 200-20 A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, APPROVING CHANGES TO THE KENAI PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATIONS TO ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO SUSPEND SERVICE AND TO NOT REQUIRE BILLING FOR WATER AND SEWER SERVICE WHILE DISCONNECTED OR SUSPENDED. WHEREAS, KMC 17.05.070(h) and 17.15.070(g) authorize the City Manager to make regulations for the operation of the city's utility system subject to approval of the Kenai City Council; and, WHEREAS, current water and sewer regulations do not allow for voluntary suspension of service; and, WHEREAS, current water and sewer regulations require a person whose water and sewer service has been suspended for non-payment continue to be billed; and, WHEREAS, the Kenai City Manager has proposed to allow voluntary suspension of water and sewer service subject to a $100.00 shut-off and turn-on fee; and, WHEREAS, the Kenai City Manager has proposed to not continue to bill those customers during the period their water and sewer service is suspended for non- payment; and, WHEREAS, the Kenai City Manager has proposed to adopt a X250.00 penalty for the unauthorized turn-on or turn-off of city water and sewer services; and, WHEREAS, the proposed changes to the Public Utilities Regulation will take effect upon approval of the Kenai City Council. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, the Kenai Public Utility Regulations and Rates are amended as follows: PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATIONS AND RATES A. Regulations The following regulations of the City of Kenai, pertaining to the water and sewer system, have been issued under the authority of Title 17 of the Kenai City Code of Ordinances. Regulations issued prior to this date are superseded by the regulations that follow: 1. Application for or Cleange in Service: Resolution No. 2008-20 Page 2 of 3 a. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to apply for utility service, a change in service, or discontinuance of service by signing a service order at the City Administration Building, Kenai, Alaska. b. Property owners are responsible to contact the City billing department when alterations to a building would change their billing account. 2. Water and Sewer Connections and Extensions: a. The property owner or his contractor may apply for a water and sewer permit for a connection and/or extension of service lines. The water and sewer permit is valid for only twelve (12) months from the date of issue. If the water and/or sewer line is not installed within twelve (12) months, a new permit, at no additional cost, will be required. b. The City will attempt to notify the owner when the permit expires. The owner can later reapply for a permit. If the owner can prove they already paid the City for a permit in this same location, the owner will not be charged for the new permit. The entire cost of water or sewer service connection and extension will be borne by the property owner. c. At the time the new service is provided, all connections to existing private systems, wells, septic tanks, cesspools, etc., shall be physically disconnected from the City system and their use discontinued. All on-site systems shah be abandoned as specified by ordinances and regulations of the City and applicable laws and regulations of the State of Alaska. d. All water turn-ons and turn-offs and the operations of the water valve located on the service line in the key box shall be made by City personnel only. There shall be a non-City personnel. A fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) will be levied on requests for turn-on and turn-off (after initial. turn-on and not involving voluntary suspension of service during normal duty hours and whenever such action is required due to delinquent account. A fee of [ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS (100.00)] fifty dollars ($50.00) each will be levied on requests for turn-on or turn-off during periods other than normal duty hours or for requests to voluntarily suspend service. Turn-on and turn-off during normal working hours for line testing purposes during building construction will not be a cost to the property owner. There will he no charge for the initial turn-on during normal working hours for a first or new property owner. e. All customers shall be required to provide a separate valve inside a building being served. The valve shall be located on the water service entering the building ahead of any branch lines where it is readily accessible in event of emergency. f. Each and every building served by the water utility shall have a separate outside shut-off valve located in a valve box. The property owner is required to know the location of this valve. In the event it is impossible to get a separate outside shut-off valve within the public right-of-way, the property owner shall provide the shut-off valve Resolution No. 2008-20 Page 3 of 3 within private property and execute, in favor of the City, an easement providing access for the City personnel to the key box. In the event that a functional shut-off valve cannot be located by City personnel, the City may install ashut-off valve and charge the property owner for related labor, equipment and material costs. g. Owners of new or significantly modified commercial buildings are required to furnish and install a water meter with a remote reading that is readily accessible to the City. 3. Deposits for Service: For domestic and commercial customers, a deposit is required of fifty dollars ($50.00) for water service and fifty dollars ($50.00) for sewer service. These deposits may be refunded upon request after two years of timely payment history. 4. Charge for Water and/or Sewer Services: a. The property owner will be charged the appropriate water and sewer rate whenever the curb stop or valve in the valve box is turned on and available to deliver water. However, if the property owner can assure the City that the water is being used for construction purposes only and not being disposed of in the Municipal Sewer System, the property owner will be required to pay only the water portion of the bill. The property owner is required to notify the City before they start using the Municipal Sewer System. b. Property owners will [NOT] be allowed to suspend water and/or sewer services subject to the fees in Section A.2.d [ONCE WATER AND/OR SEWER SERVICE LINE(S) ARE CONSTRUCTED AND OPERATING, THE OWNER WILL BE REQUIRED TO CONTINUE TO PAY THE APPROPRIATE MONTHLY RA_TE,1 c. Property owners whose water is turned off by the City for non-payment of services will be required to follow Section 2d. including the payments for water turn- offs and turn-ons. [THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO PAY FOR THEIR EXISTING BILL PLUS WATER AND SEWER COSTS AS IF AVAILABLE DURING THE PERIOD THE WATER IS TURNED OFF FOR NON-PAYMENT.] PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, this second day of April, 2008. ~~~ ~f PAT POR ER, MAYOR ATTEST: c_ Carol L. Freas, City Clerk