ORD 2012-03 UTILITY BILLINGORDINANCE N0.2012-03
AN ORDINANCE of the City of Bainbridge Island, Washington, relating to
utility billing and amending Sections 13.16.060 and 13.16.070 of the Bainbridge
Island Municipal Code (BIMC) to reduce the billing frequency.
WHEREAS, at the December 7, 2011 City Council meeting, City Council adopted the
five-point recommendations of the Utility Advisory Committee relating to the water utility with
certain revisions, including reducing the FTEs allocated to the water utility from 6.5 to 4.5; and
WHEREAS, on December 14, 2011, City Council reduced water utility rates by a total
of 45% from rates in effect prior to September 16, 2011 pursuant to Ordinance No. 2011-26; and
WHEREAS, on December 14, 2011, City Council eliminated the sewer rate increase for
2012 pursuant to Ordinance No. 2011-25; and
WHEREAS, in order to operate the water and sewer utilities more efficiently, City
Council desires to reduce the utility billing frequency;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAINBRIDGE
ISLAND, WASHINGTON, DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 13.16.060 is hereby amended to read as follows:
13.16.060 Automatic annual fee adjustment.
A. All water and sewer rates '' "~ ~ ' ~ +• r rn ,a• Q~ ~n ,a ,a
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shall be subject to an adjustment beginning with the wry first full billing period of
each year equal to the annual percentage increase in the United States Consumer Price
Index, All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for November of the preceding year as shown in
the release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics plus two percent unless the city council
determines by December 31st of any year that the adjustment shall be another amount or
shall not occur for the next year.
B.C. In calculating the annual adjustment the city shall round off all final calculations to
the nearest cent where the rate provides for cents and to the nearest dollar where the rate
does not provide for cents.
Section 2. Section 13.16.070 of the Bainbridge Island Municipal Code is hereby amended to
read as follows:
13.16.070 Payment for water and sewer service.
A. Water and/or sewer service accounts shall be billed ~y on a periodic
basis on or before the tenth day of the month succeeding the billing c~ in
which such service is furnished. Water meters shall be read at the end of each
billing c~ and the billings shall be based upon that reading. All bills are the
respons~~tt~ty of the owner of the properiy servea. Biiis may be seni to a person
other than the owner at the owner's written request, which request must contain a
commitment to pay on demand all amounts not paid by the person billed.
B. All charges for sewer and/or water service shall be due and payable on the last
day of the month in which the bill was sent; provided, that the bill shall not be due
less than 20 days from the date of billing. If the whole or any portion of the water
and/or sewer charge remains unpaid after the due date, the account shall be
delinquent. All delinquent water and/or sewer accounts shall be subject to a
monthly penalty charge of 10 percent of the amount of the delinquent service
charges. In addition, accounts which are delinquent more than 120 days shall be
subject to interest at the rate of eight percent per annum on the entire amount of
the service charges owing and unpaid.
Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force five (5) days fi•om its passage,
approval, and pi:blication as required by law.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 8t}' day of February, 2012.
APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 8th day of Feb u~r~ry, 2 2.
,:
lle17~ i Lester; Mayor
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATE:
. la.~~
Rosalind D. Lassoff, Ci Clerk
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: January 13, 2012
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: February 8, 2012
PUBLISHED: February 10, 2012
EFFECTIVE, DATE: February 15, 2012
ORDINANCE NUMBER: ~ 2012-03
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