Chapter 7.60
COMBINED UTILITY

Sections:

7.60.010  Combination of combined water and sewer utility and stormwater management utility.

7.60.020  Separate rates – Accountability.

7.60.030  Utility assistance fund.

7.60.010 Combination of combined water and sewer utility and stormwater management utility.

The city is maintaining and operating a combined water supply and distribution system and sanitary sewage disposal system and, by Chapter 7.50 ECC, has created a stormwater management utility. Pursuant to the provisions of RCW 35.67.331, the present combined water and sewer utility, and the stormwater management utility, together with all additions, extensions and betterments thereof at any time made, are hereby combined into a single utility; provided, that the accounting procedure for each system shall be kept separate as required by RCW 35.37.010. The combined water, sewer and stormwater management utility of the city, together with all additions, extensions and betterments thereof at any time made, shall hereinafter be called the “combined utility.”

7.60.020 Separate rates – Accountability.

The council declares its intent to establish rates for the combined water and sewer utility and stormwater management utility. In order to better account for the costs of the respective components of the combined utility, the administrative services director is directed to maintain such separate funds and accounting structures as may be necessary to discretely account for the costs, expenses and revenues of each component utility. When the staff makes recommendations for the establishment, increase or decrease in any rate, it is directed to provide supporting data which separately reflects such costs, expenses and revenues for each component utility.

7.60.030 Utility assistance fund.

A. Purpose. The city council establishes the utility assistance fund in order to accept, hold and dispense funds contributed either from the city's general fund, from charitable and civic organizations or from individual rate-payers who have made donations for the assistance of a category of citizens known under Article 8, Section 7 of the Washington State Constitution as the “poor and infirm” and under other provisions of other state statutes and local ordinance as the low-income, elderly and disabled.

B. Disbursement. Such monies as are contributed shall be held and disbursed to persons qualifying for the assistance programs established by ECC 7.30.070 and the provisions of state law incorporated in that section. Disbursements may be made, to the extent of monies held within the fund, for utility charges, connection fees, and other exactments levied by the utilities which, taken as whole, constitute the combined utility. The monies may be expended for purposes which generally benefit the public health, safety and welfare or are designated by the donor of the fund.

C. The administrative services director or his/her designee is hereby authorized to adopt forms and procedures for the acceptance of contributions to the fund and for the disbursement of monies from the fund. [Ord. 3393 § 1, 2002].