Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1948-0116 - Ordinance - 03/17/1948ORDINANCE 116 AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR PRO RATA PAYMENT FOR THE EXTENSION OF WATER MAINS AND SANITARY SEWER MAINS, FIXING THE FEE FOR CONNECTIONS TO WATER AND SEVER MAINS, REPEALING ANY ORDINANCE IN CO1NFLICT THEREWITH AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. WHEREAS, the charges that are in effect now for water main and sanitary sewer main extensions are not in accord with present construction costs; and WHEREAS, today's costs of a six-inch water main, complete in place, averages more than $2.60 per foot; and WHEREAS, today's costs of an eight -inch sanitary sewer main, complete in place, averages more than $2.00 per foot; and WHEREAS, College Station is in the center of and is experiencing a great building expansion program, thereby necessitating the extension of its water and sanitary sewer mains to new areas, and the obligation of the City to install these water mains and sanitary sewer mains on the basis of the present charges will cause considerable impairment of public funds and a continuing loss of these funds; now, therefore. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS: SECTION 1. Rates for extensions. The City of College Station, Texas may extend water and sanitary sewer mains in the streets and alleys, or easements, within the City Limits of the City of College Station in order to permit connections with persons desiring and seeking water service and sanitary sewer service. A charge shall be made against each lot or tract of land, and the owner thereof, whose water or sewer line shall be hereafter connected with any water main or sanitary sewer main in the City of College Station, shall be charred at the following rates, representing a proportionate part of the cost of such water and sanitary sewer mains as may be necessary in and for a given street or area: $1.30 per front foot of the lot or tract of land to which water _connections may be made. $1.00 per front foot of the lot or tract of land to which sanitary sewer connections may be made. Tho above front foot rates are to be the bases for costs on property fronting on streets of the usual width and conditions in areas platted into the usual rec- tangular lots or tracts of land, with a depth of not to exceed 150 feet. Where lots or tracts of land are greater than 150 feet in depth or are irregular in size or shape, then the pro rata charges shall be based upon equivalent rectangular lot or tract, using one front foot for each 150 square feet of area. It is herein further provided that, in the event the extension of water or sanitary sewer mains under this~ ordinance shall involve the removal of pavement in the construction thereof, then the cost of removing and repairing such pavement after the extension has been made shall be an additional charge against the property served. SECTION 2. Rate for connections. The City of College Station, Texas, will upon written application and payment of the following connection fees furnish al]. labor, material and equipment necessary to connect and maintain water and sanitary sewer service lines from the city's water and sanitary sewer mains to the property line of the applicant. 00273 -2 - Water connection fee Sanitary Sewer connection fee $50.00 25.00 All material and equipment used in making any utility connection remains the property of the City of College Station, Texas. SECTION 3. Extensions over one hundred feet; refunds. Upon request of the owner, or his agent, of a given lot or tract of land, accompanied by the payment of the charges due under this ordinance,(the City of College Station shall extend, lay or construct all necessary sanitary sewer and water mains, including valves and hydrants, a distance up to 100 feet, plus the distance across the frontage to be served by the extension/for which application has been made. The property to be served shall be required to pay the charges herein provided for. The owners of all intervening property served by the given main extension shall be required to pay the charges proveded for herein, at such time as their property is connected to the mains thus laid; provided, however, that where an applicant for service secures an extension or service under this particular option for main extension, he shall pay the pro rata charges on all property owned by him and which is served by, even though not connected to, the extension requested. Where property, for which the owner or owners desire ;bather or both water connections and sanitary sewer connections with the mains of the City of College Station, is located more than 100 feet from an existing water or sewer main, the City of College Station will make the necessary main extensions up to 100 feet. i, The owner or owners, or their agents, shall be required to pay the estimated / costs of the proposed extensions beyond the 100 feet; provided, however, that l when 75% of the available frontage has been connected for bona fide service to such main extensions, there shall be refunded to the person or persons advancing the whole cost of such extensions,/that portion of said costs so advanced which is the difference between the actual cost of the said main extension and the pro rata charges due from the owner cod* owners of the property for which the extension was built; it being further provided also that the City may exercise the option of refunding to the person or persons advancing the cost of the main extension, any pro rata share of said main extension at the time it is paid to the City by the owner of a lot or tract of land served by aaid main extension and not owned by the person or persons who advanced the cost of the original main extension. In applying this rule, where part of the original property served by the given extension was acreage, then the equivalent frontage of the acreage on which the charges were based shall be used. In no event shall the person or persons advancing the cost of water or sewer mains be refunded an amount that would represent any part of the pro rata charges against their own property that can be served by the given extension. At the option of the City of College Station, the following method for extending water and sewer mains may be used in lieu of the method outlined above. This method shall be available only for use by an individual owner, personal or corporate, to secure water and sewer service for the individual's residence or business. Where eligible for this option, the owner may advance and pay unto the City of College Station the entire pro rata costs as set forth in this ordinance, to wit: $1.30 per front foot for water connections, and $1.00 per front foot for sewer connections on all property served by the desired main extension, and the City of College Station, when said money has been actwJ 1y deposited with the City Utilities Office of the City of College Station, will construct the said desired 00274 water or sewer main along a street, alley or easement. When any property, other than that served by the extension for which application is made, and for which such person has advanced the pro rata costs is connected to the said main extension, then, in that event, the pro rata costs so advanced on that particular property shall be refunded by the City of College Station to the person making the original deposit. In no event may the City of College Station be required to make extensions if there are no funds or materials available for that purpose. SECTION 4. Charges to be credited to Water and Sewer Fund Any and all sums of money hereinafter collected as a connection fee or extension charge at the rates set out in this ordinance, shall be credited to the Water and Sewer Fund of the City of College Station, Texas. SECTION 5. When owner may install. All water and sanitary sewer main extensions herein provided for shall be laid, constructed, and installed by the City of College Station directly or by contract, except that the owner, or his duly authorized agent, of a tract of land consisting of ten acres, or more, may exercise the option of installing a complete water or sanitary sewer system, or both, including all mains, valves and hydrants, at his own expense and through a private contractor, in which event, that particular property would not be charged nor subjected to any additional pro rata charges for water or sanitary sewer mains. It is further provided that the water and sewer lines constructed through a private contractor shall be subject to all requirements, specifications and regulations of the City of College Station, covering water and sewer mains to be connected to the systems of the City of College Station, and that no private contract shall be let except upon the written approval of the City of College Station, with the provision that all such water and sewer mains, valves, hydrants, and all appurtenancSs thereto, shall be and become the property of the City of College Station immediately upon their installation and construction, free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances. SECTION 6. Existing lines exemgt. All property platted into lots or tracts and having adequate existing water and sanitary sewer mains installed by the City of College Station, at the effective date of this ordinance, shall be exempt from the pro rata charges for the water and sanitary sewer mains as to the said existing adequate mains. Where such property is later subdivided, whereby an extension of mains is required to serve same, then the terms of this ordinance shall govern. Where the property owner or developer has already paid or Con- tributed toward any of the existing mains, then the property properly served by the existing mains without extension thereof, shall be exempt for the pro rata charges for water and sanitary sewer connections. SECTION 7. Purpose of Ordinance: Where front foot rule inequitable: No vested rights. The intent and purpose of this ordinance is to provide an equitable charge for water and sanitary sewer connections and a proportionate distribution of the cost of water and sanitary sewer main extensions to serve property in the City of College Station on a front foot basis. In case a property or tract of land is so situated or shaped that the front foot rule creates an inequitable basis as between it and other tracts of land in the City of College Station, then, in that event, the City Engineer shall determine the proper charges in accord with the intent and purpose of this ordinance. No person shall acquire any vested rights under the terms and provisions of this Ordinance. SECTION 8. Repeal. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. SECTION 9. EMERGENCY. The fact that the City of College Station, Texas is badly in need of the regulations herein contemplated, and said regulations will be to the best interest and general welfare of the said city, creates an emergency and an imperative public necessity that the rule requiring ordinances 00275 -a -4 - to be read at more than one meeting of the City Council before final passage be suspended, and said rule is hereby suspended, and that this ordinance take effect and be in full force and effect immediately from and after its passage at this meeting, and it is so ordained. Ari,444, Passed and approved, this /T Tiday of 1948. Attest: City Secretary roved: Mayor 00276