SR-8-D (37)
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EPWM:CP: JM: JSH:wtrord2
CouncIl MeetIng: November 28, 1995
Santa Monlca, Callfornla
NOV 2 8 1995
To:
Mayor and City Co~ncll
From:
Clty Staff
SubJect: IntroductIon and Flrst Reading of Ordlnance AmendIng
Certaln Sectlons and Addlng Sectlons to the Santa
Monlca MunICIpal Code Relatlng to Water and Wastewater
SerVIces
Introductlon
ThlS staff report Introduces for flrst readlng an ordlnance
amendIng certaIn sec~lons and addlng sectlons to the Santa Monlca
Munlclpal Code relatlng to water and wastewater serVIces. A
maJorlty of the changes are technlcal In that they update
language to reflect change of CIty department references, shlft
Internal admInIstratIve authorIty, and change procedures to
establIsh and amend fees by ~esolutlon rather than by ordInance.
The ordInance establIshes authorIty to Impose a penalty charge
for late payments, authorlzes an eXlstlng fee for Clty-performed
hydra~t tests, and authorlzes assessment of all other eXlstlng
fees by counCll resolut~on. Once thlS ordInance IS adopted a
resolutlon settlng the fees for the serVIces contalned In thIS
ordInance WIll be brought back to the CounCll for conSIderatIon.
BackgrOl,md
The Clty Counc~l dIrected the CIty Attorney to draft an ordInance
amendIng certaIn sectlons of the Santa MonIca Munlclpal Code
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80
NOV 2 8 1995
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relatIng to water and wastewater serVIces. The amended sectIons
prOVIde conSIstent language throughout certaIn MunICIpal Code
sectIons, clarIfy sectIons so the Clty can better recover the
actual costs of water and wastewater serVIces, and prOVIde
conSIstency WIth Clty current pollcy of settIng and reVISIng fees
by resolutIon. Many of these sectlons have not been revIsed
SInce the 1960's and 1970's. RevIslons include updatIng the
outdated references from "General SerVIces DepartmentH to
"EnVIronmental and PublIC Works Management DepartmentH and
replaCIng the reference to "Water DIvlslonN WIth "UtIlIty
DlvlSlonH; changIng sewer connectIon fee to wastewater cap~tal
fee; and transferrIng certaIn authorIty to the UtIlItIes Manager.
There are three prImary addItIons to thIS sectIon of the code,
two of whIch authorIze collectIon of fees, a late payment penalty
and a hydrant test fee. The thIrd sectlon establIshes a tlme
llmlt for credIts and back charges which WIll codlfy current
admInIstratIve pollcy. Two mlnor changes are made to clar~fy the
retrofIt upon sale sectIon of the Code. Upon adoptIon of thIS
ordInance, sta=f WIll return to CounCIl WIth an approprIate
resolutIon re-establlshlng eXIstIng fees and creatIng the late
payment fee and the hydrant flow test fee.
Budaet/FInancIal Impact
The recommendatIons contaIned In thIS staff report have no budget
and fInanCIal Impact.
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Recommendatlon
It 1S recommended that the C1ty CounCIl 1ntroduce for first
read1ng the attached ord1nance amend1ng and add1ng to certa1n
sectlons of the Santa MonIca Munlclpal Code relatlng to Water and
Wastewater charges.
Prepared by: CraIg PerkIns, DIrector of EnVIronmental and
PublIC Works Management
John Mundy, UtI1It1es Manager
Jean HIgbee, Senior AdmInistratIve Analyst
Attachment: OrdInance
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