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Establishing a Water Metering System and Amending Ordinance No. 14, Section E and Ordinance No. 27, Section F.
The City Council of the City of Barnum does hereby ordain as follows:
1.No person shall be allowed City water until the City shall see that a meter supplied by the City has been placed in such manner that it will register all water consumed, and that all other parts of the plumbing and pipe fitting in and about the premises has been in full compliance with the rules and regulations which the City shall make from time to time.
2.The City shall exclusively own, control and supply the water meters to be used in the City water system. The meter may be removed or replaced or changed as to size and type whenever deemed necessary.
3.If any meters are damaged by freezing, hot water, carelessness or other cause, the owners or occupants must may for the repair of such meters. The cost of ordinary maintenance and repairs of all meters owned by the City shall be borne by the City.
4.Where repair or replacement is made necessary on the park of the owner or occupant as set forth in paragraph 3, any city expense caused thereby shall be a charge against and collected from the water consumer, and water service may be discontinued until the cause is corrected and the amount charged is paid.
5.The City shall keep an accurate record of each meter in use, read all meters at the end of each month and calculate the amount of water used by each consumer.
6.The City Inspector, so designated, and other duly authorized employees of the City, bearing proper identification, shall at reasonable times be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing in connection with the operation of the City sanitary sewer system or the City water system. Such employees shall also be permitted to enter for inspection, meter reading and examining fixtures causing unnecessary waste of water to the detriment of the system. Said employee(s) shall promptly notify the owner or occupant of such premises in writing of required repairs, if any, and, in the event any required repairs on not made within ten (10) days, the City may shut off the water.
7.If the City requests access and the owner or occupant of any premises fails to provide access to the premises, whether for the reading, inspection, repair or replacement of a meter or for some other purpose reasonably necessary for the proper administration of service, the City may take one or more of the following actions: (a) impose and collect, along with and in addition to other charges for service, a quarterly penalty charges as established by resolution of the City Council; (b) terminate service to the premises; (c) bill and collect for service to the premises on an estimated consumption basis whether or not meter readings are being obtained.
8.The customer is prohibited from obstructing the meter so as to interfere with the reading or repairing of the meter.
9.When a consumer complains that the bill for any past service period is excessive, the City shall have the meter reread on request.
10.At the written request of any owner or consumer, the City will test, or cause to be tested, the meter supplying the premises of such owner or consumer. A deposit as set by the council will be required before the meter is disconnected, which will be returned to the owner or consumer if the meter is not found to be registering correctly within ten percent (10%), otherwise the deposit so made shall be retained by the City to cover the cost of such test. The owner or consumer may, if he desires, be present at the time any such test is made. The result of any such test shall be reported to such owner or consumer in every case.
11.If the testing of a meter, as hereinabove provided, indicates that it registers in excess of ten percent (10%) error, the meter shall be repaired or replaced at the City's option. The charge to the consumer for water used and consumed during the service period within which such test is made shall be the basis of the corresponding service period of the previous year; if such consumer was not receiving service during such corresponding service period of the previous year, or if for any other reason the charge for such corresponding period cannot be justly applied, the charge so made for the service period within which such test occurred shall be equitably adjusted by the City. No adjustment shall extend back for more than one service period from the date of the written request for meter testing.
12.The City shall not be liable for any damages resulting from stoppage of the supply or flow of water as the results of breaks in any mains, service, pipes, or fixtures, or by reason of the breaking of machinery or stoppage for necessary repair, or any other interruption of service.
13.All commercial, industrial and institutional buildings connected to the sanitary sewer system but not connected to the City water system will have the sewer charges estimated by the City or may, if the owner disagrees with the estimate, purchase from the City and have installed, a water meter of adequate size on the private fresh water supply system of a building for the purpose of determining the amount of water that is discharged in to the sanitary sewer.
14.Ordinance No. 14, Section E and No. 27, Section F are amended as the date that this ordinance takes effect. All other sections of ordinances inconsistent with this ordinance shall be repealed on the effective date of this ordinance.
15.This ordinance shall take effect and be in force after its passage and publication.
16.Passed and adopted by the Council of the City of Barnum, State of Minnesota, on the 28th day of June, 1988, by the following vote:
Ayes: 5Namely:Robert Norland
Dorothy VanDerWerff
Kae Goodwin
Rudy Telker
Jim Mehle
Nays: 0
Mayor:_____(signed)___________________
Robert Norland
Clerk:______________________________
Published in the Star-Gazette the 18th day of August, 1988.
Rules Duly Enacted by the City Council of 6-28-88,
Supplementing Ordinance No. 80
1.The owner or occupant of each premise receiving city water services shall be responsible for fees necessary to install a water meter on the premises.
2.A duly authorized City employee shall inspect and seal each meter after installation.
3.Meters shall be installed and remain thereafter in a reasonably accessible location.
4.Each premise receiving city water services shall have a water meter installed by July 31, 1988.
Ordinance No. 80A
To Provide Penalties for Intentional
Avoidance of Water Service Fees
The City Council of the City of Barnum does hereby ordain as follows:
Section One: It shall be unlawful for any person to misread or to tamper with any water meter so as to avoid just charges for water.
Section Two: It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally remove the seal from a water meter.
Section Three: It shall be unlawful for any person to bypass a water meter, or otherwise use the water of this City without making just compensation therefor, except for the extinguishment of fires, or except where directed or done by an authorized City employee.
Section Four: Violation of any of the foregoing sections of this ordinance shall constitute a misdemeanor.
Section Five: This ordinance shall take effect and be in force after its passage and publication.
Section Six: Passed and adopted by the Council of the City of Barnum, State of Minnesota, on the 28th day of June, 1988, by the following vote:
Ayes:Robert NolandNays:None
Kae Goodwin
Jim Mehle
Rudy Telker
Dorothy VanDerWerff
MAYOR_____(signed)___________________
Robert Noland
CLERK_______________________________
Published in the Star-Gazette the 18th day of August, 1988.
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