HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 403 - Sewer Rate OrdinanceCHAPTER IV – WATER & SEWER
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ORDINANCE 403 SEWER RATE ORDINANCE............................................................. 403-1
Section 403.01: PURPOSE AND POLICY ............................................................. 403-1
Section 403.02: DEFINITIONS………………………………………………………..403-1
Section 403.03: USERS .............................................................................................. 403-2
Section 403.04: RATES.............................................................................................. 403-2
Section 403.05: ADMINISTRATION ........................................................................ 403-4
Section 403.06: PENALTIES ..................................................................................... 403-4
Section 403.07: SEVERABILITY AND VALIDITY ................................................. 403-5
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ORDINANCE 403 SEWER RATE ORDINANCE
Section 403.01. PURPOSE AND POLICY. The purpose of this Ordinance is to set and
recover fees from users of the St. Joseph Sanitary Sewer System on an equitable basis to provide
funds for the operation and maintenance, debt service, replacement and improvements to the St.
Joseph Sanitary Sewer System, including all cost associated with being part of the St. Cloud
Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment System.
Section 403.02. DEFINITIONS. Except as may otherwise be provided or clearly implied
by context, all terms shall be given their commonly accepted definitions. For the purpose of this
Ordinance, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a
different meaning.
a. Account. A record of municipal sanitary sewer treatment service used by each
property and the periodic costs for those utility services.
b. St. Joseph Sanitary Sewer System. Wastewater sewers, pipes, fixtures, lift stations
and all necessary equipment and appurtenances owned or operated by the City of St.
Joseph sanitary sewer utility system for the purpose of conveying wastewater to the
St. Cloud wastewater treatment facility for treatment and recycling of the municipal
wastewater collection.
c. St. Cloud Wastewater Treatment Facility. WWTF includes sewers, pipes, and other
conveyances to convey wastewater to the WWTF. WWTF also includes any devices
and systems used in the storage, treatment, recycling, and reclamation of municipal
solids residual or industrial wastewater of liquid nature. The City of St. Joseph is a
contracted user of the St. Cloud WWTF.
d. User. A property owner connected to the St. Joseph Sanitary Sewer System. In some
cases, the user is in the name of the business or management company as
grandfathered in when the account was established for the property owner under
previous ordinance requirements.
e. Sanitary “Sewer” Rate. An authorized service fee as identified in Exhibit A of the St.
Joseph Code of Ordinances.
f. Depreciation. A reduction in the value of an asset with the passage of time, due in
particular to wear and tear.
g. Fixed Rate Charges. The base revenues needed to operate the sanitary sewer utility
system associated with capacity and peak flow. Base revenues may also include
revenues needed to cover fixed costs such as debt service and capital replacements.
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h. Variable Rate Charges. The flow charge needed to operate the wastewater utility
system that fluctuates depending upon the amount of metered water usage. The
variable rate charges are determined on a uniform rate structure.
i. Uniform Rate Structure. The variable usage rate charged a constant rate per unit price
for all users from the first gallon of wastewater treated.
j. Winter Average Use. Sewer use charges for single-family accounts are given a
maximum use threshold per billing period (cycle). The threshold is based on the
metered water usage for the prior November and December, and shall be effective for
six billing periods (cycles). The winter average use is re-established each year with
the November and December billing. New accounts or accounts for seasonal
resident ial locations that are vacant or partially vacant during the November and
December period (cycle) shall be given a winter average use based on the average
single-family bi-monthly usage of 13,500 gallons.
k. Fixed Line Charges. The calculated base fixed rate charge for a contracted user.
Section 403.03. USERS. Users of the St. Joseph Sanitary Sewer System shall be
identified as belo nging to one of the following User Classes:
General User
Contract User
Users shall be considered General Users unless the City Council has determined that a
particular user should be subject to a separate agreement with the City in accordance with the
following criteria:
a. Users who typically discharge a flow volume greater than 50,000 gallons per day on
an annual basis.
b. Users who discharge Extra Strength Wastewater
c. Users who are otherwise required to obtain a Wastewater Discharge Permit in
accordance with of the Sewer Use Ordinance 402.
Section 403.04. RATES. All users of the system, regardless of user classification, will be
billed for discharging normal domestic strength, as defined in St. Joseph Ordinance 402,
wastewater. To determine billable wastewater, all users of the wastewater system must have
water meters installed on the water source whether or not the user is connected to the City of St.
Joseph municipal water system. The charges for service will be divided into two rates: sewer
fixed charges and sewer usage charge.
a. Sewer Fixed Charges: All General Users of the St. Joseph Sanitary Sewer System
will be billed a proportionate share of the debt service, fixed operational and fixed
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maintenance costs of the sanitary sewer system. The fixed sewer charges shall be
determined by the size of the water meter factor multiplied by a fixed rate adopted in
the St. Joseph Fee Schedule Ordinance. The factor shall be predicated on guidelines
established by the American Water Works Association (AWWA). The base fixed
charge is first based on a 3/4” and 5/8” water meter with a factor of one. The AWWA
Equivalency Factor determines the capacity flow available in the water meter from
the base user. The AWWA Equivalency Factor table used by the City of St. Joseph is
depicted here.
3/4" and 5/8” Meter Factor of 1
1” Meter Factor of 2.5
1.5” Meter Factor of 5
2” Meter Factor of 8
3” Meter Factor of 15
4” Meter Factor of 25
6” Meter Factor of 50
b. Sewer Line Charge: All Contracted Users of the St. Joseph Sanitary Sewer System
shall be billed a fixed charge based on a per unit basis as determined by a negotiated
contract between the City of St. Joseph and a contracted user. The sewer line charge
will be equated to a charge per unit and the unit charges shall be applied as follows:
i. Contracted Uses – Properties utilizing wastewater services that are
contracted with the City of St. Joseph shall be charged one-unit cost per
residential equivalent. Residential equivalent shall consist of dividing the
monthly sewer use by the average residential water use of 274 gallons per
day. This number and any portion thereof shall represent the number of
units to be charged on a monthly basis. Example: 5.25 units shall be
considered 6 units for purpose of determining number of units. The
number of units will be multiplied by the monthly rate. A single unit
charge is equal to the base fixed rate for a 3/4" or 5/8” water meter.
c. Sewer Usage Charge: All users of the St. Joseph Sanitary Sewer System will be
billed for wastewater calculated on the basis of metered water usage, or if applicable
direct wastewater metering. Annually the City will establish a budget for the sewer
fund that includes covering depreciation, debt service and capital costs. The budgeted
costs less the fixed charged revenues will be extrapolated into a per gallon sewer use
charge. The City Council will annually establish the sewer use charge. The sewer
usage rate will be billed as follows:
i. Residential Uses – Includes Stand Alone Residential Duplexes, not
including Multi-Family and Manufactured Homes Communities– The
sewer use charge shall be calculated on the basis of metered water usage.
The billable flows for residential uses shall be obtained by measuring the
metered potable water usage and the annual reading for November and
December winter average use shall be the maximum sewer charge until
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the next annual reading. If billable flows for any service period are lower
than the November and December reading the lower reading shall be used
for that period. New accounts and seasonal residents are given an average
winter average use for the current year the account is established.
ii. Residential Uses –Multi-Family and Manufactured Home Communit y
Parks– The sewer use charge shall be calculated on the basis of metered
water usage or when applicable direct wastewater measurement. Users
will be billed the established Sewer Usage charge based on the potable
water usage or direct wastewater measurement for each billing period.
iii. Commercial/Industrial/Contract Users/Mixed Use Facility – The sewer
use charge shall be calculated on the basis of metered water usage or when
applicable direct wastewater measurement. Users will be billed the
established Sewer Usage charge based on the potable water usage or direct
wastewater measurement for each billing period.
Section 403.05. ADMINISTRATION. The Sewer Service Charge System and Sewer
Service Fund shall be administered according to the following provisions:
Subd. 1: The City shall maintain the Sewer Fund in accordance with the Minnesota
Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards as adopted and amended by the Office of the
State Auditor.
Subd. 2: The City Council shall annually review user rates and charges to determine
whether sufficient revenue is being generated for the effective operation, maintenance,
replacement, management of the Sanitary Sewer System and debt retirement, including charges
from the City of St. Cloud for treatment and conveyance of wastewater in the St. Cloud
wastewater treatment and conveyance system.
Subd. 3: Bills for service shall be billed and collected as identified in St. Joseph Code of
Ordinance 409.
Subd. 4: The owner of the premise shall be liable to pay for the service to such premises,
and the service is furnished to the premises by the City only upon the condition that the owner of
the premises is liable therefore to the City.
Section 403.06. PENALTIES.
Subd. 1. Criminal Penalties. Any person violating any of the provisions of this
ordinance shall be guilty of a criminal offense, punishable as a misdemeanor as defined by City
ordinance or state law.
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Section 403.07. SEVERABILITY AND VALIDITY
Subd. 1: If any section or subdivision of this ordinance shall be held invalid, the
invalidity thereof shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this ordinance, which
shall continue in full force and effect.
Subd. 2: This ordinance amendment shall be in full force and take effect from and after
its passage and approval and publication as provide by law.
Amended 06-02 -2011
Sections 403.04 & 403.05 Amended 07/2017
Amended 10/2024