Chapter IV. Water and
Sewer
Part 1. General Provisions on Water
and Sewer Systems - City
of Askov
401.02. Applications for service. Subdivision 1. Procedure. Application for a water or sewer service
installation and for water service shall be made to the water and sewer
commissioner on forms approved by the council and furnished by the city. The applicant's signature shall be an
agreement to conform to this chapter and to rules and regulations that may be
established by the city as conditions for the use of water.
Subd. 2. Fees
or deposit. Application for a
service installation shall be made by the owner of the property to be served or
by the owner's agent. The applicant
shall at the time of making application pay to the city the amount of the fees
or deposit required for the installation of the service connection as provided
in this chapter. When a water service connection
has been installed, application for water service may be made either by the
owner or the owner's agent or by the tenant or occupant of the premises.
401.03. Charges for service
connections. Subdivision
1. Permit
and fee. No connection shall be made
to the city water or sanitary sewer system without a permit received from the
clerk. The fee for each such permit
shall be $400.00 for a water main connection permit and $400.00 for a sewer
connection permit. These fees shall be
in addition to any fees required under subdivisions 3, 4, and 5.
Subd. 2. Connection
fees. When a connection requires
installation of a service line from the main to the property line, the
applicant for a permit shall pay to the city an amount not less than the cost of
making the necessary connections, taps, and installation of pipe and
appurtenances to provide service to the property and the necessary street
repairs. (At present this cost is
included in the connection permit fee above.)
Subd. 3. Certification. No permit shall be issued to connect
with any water or sanitary sewer main unless the clerk certifies to the truth
of one of the following or the payment required under subdivision 4 is made:
a. That the lot or tract to be served has been
assessed for the cost of construction of the main with which the connection is
made or that proceedings for levying such assessment have been or will be
commenced in due course; or
b. That the cost of construction of the main has
been paid by the developer or builder platting the lot or tract; or
c. That, if neither of the foregoing is true, a
sum equal to the portion of the cost of constructing the main which would be
assessable against the lot or parcel has been paid to the city.
Subd. 4. Additional
connection fee. If no such
certificate can be issued, the applicant shall pay an additional connection fee
equal to the portion of the cost of construction of the main upon the same
basis as any assessment previously levied against other property for the main. The determination shall be made by the
council. If no such assessment has been
levied, the assessable cost shall be determined upon the basis of the uniform
charge which may have been or will be charged for similar connection with the
main. The amount shall be determined on
the basis of the total assessable cost of the main allocated on the basis of
frontage or other equitable means.
401.04. Accounting, billing, and collecting. Subdivision 1. Owner
responsibility. The owner shall be
liable for water supplies or sewer service provided to the owner's property,
whether the owner is occupying the property or not, and any charges unpaid
shall be a lien upon the property.
Sub. 2. Bills
for service. Water and sewer service
charges shall be billed together. Bills
shall be mailed to the customers quarterly and shall specify the sewer and
water charges in accordance with the rates set out in this chapter. (Those customers choosing to be on a debit
memo basis will have water and sewer charges deducted from their checking
accounts monthly.)
Subd. 3. Delinquent
accounts. All charges for water
and sewer shall be due on the quarterly due date specified by the city for the
respective account and shall be delinquent 30 days thereafter. The city shall endeavor to collect delinquent
accounts promptly. In any case, where
satisfactory arrangements for payment have not been made, the clerk may, after
the procedural requirements of subdivision 4 have been complied with, cause a
discontinuance of service to the delinquent customer by shutting off the water
at the stop box. When water service to
any premises has been discontinued, service shall not be restored except upon
the payment of all delinquent bills and a fee of $50.00. Delinquent account shall be certified to the
city clerk who shall prepare an assessment roll each year providing for
assessment of the delinquent amounts against the respective properties
served. The assessment roll shall be
delivered to the council for adoption on or before October 1 of each year for
certification to the county auditor for collection along with taxes. Such action is optional and may be subsequent
to taking legal action to collect delinquent accounts.
Subd. 4. Procedure for shutoff of service. Water shall not be shut off under Subdivision
3 or for a violation of rules and regulations affecting utility service until
notice and an opportunity for a hearing have first been given the occupant of
the premises involved. The notice shall
be personally served (or mailed Certified Mail with Return Receipt) and shall
state that if payment is not made before a day stated in the notice but not
less than 10 days after the date on which the notice is given, the water supply
to the premises will be shut off. The
notice shall also state that the occupant may, before such date, demand a
hearing on the matter, in which case the supply will not be cut off until after
the hearing. If the customer requests a hearing before the date
specified, a hearing shall be held on the matter by the council at least one
week after the date of the request. If
as a result of the hearing, the council finds that the amount claimed to be
owing is actually due and unpaid and that there is no legal reason why the
water supply of the delinquent customer may not be shut off in accordance with
this ordinance, the city may shut off the supply.
401.05. Protection of public and
city. Subdivision
1. Permit
and bond. A permit for construction
and connection of the extension between a building drain and the sewer main or
stub herein called the building sewer, or for construction of a water main or
stub, shall be issued only upon application by a person who has furnished a
bond either to the clerk or to the secretary of state under Minn. Stat. 326.40. The bond shall be in the amount of $2,000
conditioned so as to secure compliance by the principal with the provisions of
this code and further secure the person's performance of all work undertaken
within the city.
Subd. 2. Liability insurance. Before undertaking the construction work
authorized by the permit, the person shall secure and maintain a policy of
insurance against damages to the property or injury or death to
individuals. The policy shall indemnify
and save harmless the city and its personnel against any claim, damages, or
cause of action arising out of the work and from any expenses of defending the
same. The property damages insurance
coverage shall be in the amount of at least $200,000 and the public liability
damage for injury or death shall be in the amount of at least $200,000 per
claimant and $600,000 for any number of claims per occurrence. Proof of such insurance shall be filed with
the city prior to construction work and such policy shall provide that the city
shall be notified immediately of any termination or modification of such
insurance. If the insurance coverage be
inadequate in amount, the person shall indemnify and save harmless the city and
its personnel in like manner.
Subd. 3. Indemnification by owner. The owner shall bear the costs and expenses
incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer or extension
of water service to private property. The owner shall indemnify the city for any loss or damage directly or indirectly
caused by its installation. The water
and sewer commissioner shall establish rules and regulations for the proper
implementation of these requirements which, when approved by the council by
resolution, shall govern the installation of building sewers and connections.