Agenda - Council - 10/03/1995 - Special

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ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS WITH HOOKUP CHARGES iTO WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES RECEIVING AVAILABILITY FROM SUBDIVISION EXTENSIONS Preamble: Municipal sewer and water utilities represent a higher level of both treatment and monitoring than are afforded by individual on-site systems. In addition, the City has a significant inv~estment in the infrastructure associated with these utilities and it is therefore in the best interest of the utility to have as many available customers connected to these utilities thereby reducing costs for all of the utility customers. For this reason, the City has passed an ordinance requiring hookup to the system within two years of availability to the utility. This compulsory hookup may cause property owners to incur costs which they may find a financial burden. It is then appropriate that some mechanism allow such property owners to comply with City ordinances, yet avoid unreasonable financial burdens. Policy: This policy shall apply in cases where a property owner is subject to compulsory hookup to municipal services due to the two year availability rule, with the exception that if the property owner has replaced either the septic tank or drain field within a period of twelve months prior: to the sewer becoming available, the property owner shall receive an additional one year extension to connect to the sewer utility. It is expectqd that municipal water and sewer services will be exten0ed into residential areas wherein the construction project was petitioned against. In cases whbre the t)ror}ertv owner petitioned aeainst the project, additional consideratiofl shall be ~rltlited. If the private-septic system is newer than ten (10~ yeasts, then the municipal connection requirement will be deferred to the date bn which the ~ystem reaches ten (10~ years of age. Any project assessments !will be certified to the County as a City deferral. The deferral will extend to the date of the connection requirement with interest accruin~ and levied a~,fter the first three (3~ years of the deferral period. - It shall be the policy of the City of Ramsey to allow sewer and water hookup fees to be collected as a special assessment to the property, payable over a period no greater than ten years with interest on the outstanding balance, as a courtesy to the property owner. The interest rate tO be charged shall be set from time to time by resolution of the City Council. The owner shall sign a request for this hookup charge to be implemented as a special assessment and shall waive a right to a public hearing. Specific items eligible for consideration may include sewer and water trunk charges, the S.A.C. charge collected by the City and paid to the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission, iand W.A.C. charges. Charges which shall be ineligible for consideration shall include tthe cost of building re-plumbing, sewer and water laterals laid on private property and abandonment of private sewer and water utilities.