35-2023 - Amend water and sewer rates 2024-2028

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DocuSign Envelope ID: D733A3F0-EC57-49D6-A4C4-7A15E4E44C25 1st read & referred to Finance 11/20/23 2nd reading 12/4/23 ORDINANCE NO. 35-2 02 3 BY: Baker, Bullock, Litten, Marx, Rader, Shachner AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least five members of Council, amending Sections 902.04 Rates and Charges and 915.01 Establishments of Rates of the Lakewood Codified Ordinances to establish water and sewer rates for the years 2024-2028. WHEREAS, the implementation of the City's Integrated Wet Weather Plan (IWWIP) constitutes the largest and most expensive infrastructure reinvestment in our City's history; and WHEREAS, the IWWIP is a carefully developed long-term plan to upgrade Lakewood's sewers in accordance with the Clean Water Act Section 402(s) that is recognized nationally as a model for other communities; and WHEREAS, increases to Lakewood's water and sewer rates are necessary to sustain the series of expensive capital projects contained in the IWWIP; and WHEREAS, as set forth in Section 2.12 of the Third Amended Charter of the City of Lakewood, this Council by a vote of at least two thirds of its members determines that this ordinance is an emergency measure and that it shall take effect immediately, and that it is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public property, health, and safety and to provide for the usual daily operation of municipal departments, in that water and sewer rates need to be established prior to January 1, 2024; now, therefore BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO: Section 1. That Section 902.04 Rates and Charges of the Lakewood Codified Ordinances, currently reading as follows: 902.04 RATES AND CHARGES. (a) The Director of Finance is hereby authorized to annually establish sewer rates charged by the Division of Utility Billing. (1) Such charges and rates shall be made against each lot parcel of land or premises which may have an active sewer connection with the disposal system or which may otherwise discharge wastewater or stormwater either directly or indirectly into such system or any part thereof. (2) Such charges and rates shall be based on all water used during each one month billing period. (3) Such rates shall be charged monthly. (b) Any lot parcel of land or premises discharging into the sanitary sewer but not using City water wholly or partly shall at his or her own expense be required to install meters or other measuring devices approved by the City Engineer to measure either the water or the discharge to the sanitary sewer. (c) Any lot, parcel of land or premises desiring credit for water consumed for purposes where the water is not returned to the sanitary sewer shall at his or her own expense separately meter the water for such uses. (1) Effective January 1, 2019, sewer rates charged by the Lakewood Division Utility Billing shall be billed at a rate of not more $7.50 per one hundred cubic feet of metered water consumption.