PUBLIC NOTICE OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE
RELATING TO THE TOWN OF HARMAN’S
SEWER RATES, FEES AND CHARGES
Notice is hereby given that on the 15th day of May, 2015, the Town Council of the Town of Harman caused to be read an Ordinance proposing increased sewer rates, fees and charges in lieu of its present sewer rates and charges for service provided to customers of its sewer system in Harman, Randolph County, and is proposing the adoption of the same. The proposed Ordinance reads as follows:
AN ORDINANCE SETTING FORTH THE RATES, FEES
AND CHARGES FOR SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS OF THE
SEWER SYSTEM OF THE TOWN OF HARMAN
THE COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF HARMAN HEREBY ORDAINS: The following rules, rates and charges are hereby fixed, determined and established for municipal sewer service provided to all general domestic, commercial, and industrial users of the Town of Harman’s Municipal Sewerage System, commencing upon the effective date as hereinafter provided, and in lieu of those rates, fees and charges currently contained in the Town’s Sewer Tariff P.S.C. W.Va. No. 1 currently on file with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia:
SECTION 1 — TARIFF
RULES AND REGULATIONS
I. Rules and Regulations for the Government of Sewer Utilities, adopted by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, and now in effect, and all amendments thereto and modifications thereof hereafter made by said Commission.
RATE SCHEDULE 1
APPLICABILITY
Applicable within the entire territory served
AVAILABILITY OF SERVICE
Available for general domestic, commercial and industrial service.
METERED RATES
For all customers with metered water supply:
First 2,000 gallons used per month $14.07 per 1,000 gallons
Next 4,000 gallons used per month $13.31 per 1,000 gallons
Next 4,000 gallons used per month $10.56 per 1,000 gallons
Next 10,000 gallons used per month $9.96 per 1,000 gallons
All over 20,000 gallons used per month $9.30 per 1,000 gallons
MINIMUM CHARGE
No bill will be rendered for less than $28.14 per month which is the equivalent of 2,000 gallons.
DELAYED PAYMENT PENALTY
The above schedule is net. On all accounts not paid in full when due, ten percent (10{4ceb532c6f579389df471c6c1e832caf2346b74dc60fcbf6aabd4d29df3baf9c}) will be added to the net current amount unpaid. This delayed payment penalty is not interest and is to be collected only once for each bill where it is appropriate.
MULTIPLE OCCUPANCY
Where multiple service is rendered through one water meter, the monthly sewer bill shall not be less than the minimum charge provided for above, multiplied by the number of families apartments, residences, stores, offices, mobile homes (house trailers), or other units receiving water service from such meter.
SEWER CONNECTION (TAP) FEE
The following charges are to be made whenever the Town installs a new tap to serve an applicant:
1. No tap fee will be charged to customers applying for service before construction is completed adjacent to the customer’s premises in connection with a certificate proceeding before the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (”Commission”). This pre-construction tap fee of $0.00 will be invalid after the completion of construction adjacent to an applicant’s premises that is associated with a certificate proceeding.
2. A tap fee shall be the greater of $350.00, or the actual cost of connection (solely determined by the Town), and will be charged to all customers who apply for service outside of a certificate proceeding before the Commission for each new tap to the system.
RECONNECTION FEE
The reconnection charge shall be $25.00 which shall be non-refundable and not applicable to the account being reconnected.
SECURITY DEPOSIT
A security deposit shall be required to connect to the sewerage system and shall not be more than either fifty dollars ($50) or two-twelfths (2/12th) of the average annual usage of the applicant’s specific customer class, whichever is greater.
SPECIAL CHARGES
In the event that the sewage, water or other liquid waste being discharged into the sewage system from any building, or premises, is determined by the Town to contain unduly high concentration of any substances which add to the operating costs of the sewage system of said Town, then the Town may establish special rates and charges as to such class of buildings, or premises, or the Town may require the owners, or other interested parties, to specifically treat such sewage, water or other liquid waste before it is discharged into the municipal sanitary sewer system, at the user’s sole cost and expense.
SECTION 2 — EFFECTIVE DATE
The rates, fees and charges provided herein shall become effective forty-five (45) days after enactment, or as soon thereafter as the same may be approved by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia.
SECTION 3 – SEVERABILITY; REPEAL OR CONFLICTING ORDINANCES
The provisions of this Ordinance are severable, and if any clause, provision or section hereof be held void or unenforceable by the Public Service Commission or any court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the remainder of this Ordinance. Upon the effective date hereof, all ordinances, resolutions, orders or parts thereof in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are, to the extent of such conflicts, hereby repealed, and to the extent that the provisions of this Ordinance do not touch upon the provisions of prior ordinances, resolutions, orders or parts thereof, the same shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 4 — STATUTORY NOTICE AND PUBLIC HEARING
Upon introduction hereof, the Recorder shall cause to be published notice of this Ordinance in The Inter-Mountain, a qualified newspaper of general circulation in the Town of Harman, as a Class II publication. The first publication shall be made at least ten (10) days before, and the second publication occurring at least five (5) days before, the meeting of the Town Council at which a final reading and vote on the ordinance will be held. Said notice shall state that this Ordinance has been introduced, and that any person interested may appear before Council on the 2nd day of June, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. and present comments or protests, if any. At such hearing, all objections and suggestions shall be heard and thereafter the Council shall take such action as it shall deem proper. Further, said Notice shall advise the public that a copy of this ordinance is available for public inspection at the office of the Recorder, Town of Harman, Harman, West Virginia.
TOWN OF HARMAN
5/19, 5/26