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Home My WebLink About05/07/2024 15. Ordinance amending Yakima Municipal Code Title 7.50.040 concerning utility services fees 1 .4. ! a, BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. 15. For Meeting of: May 7, 2024 ITEM TITLE: Ordinance amending Yakima Municipal Code Title 7.50.040 concerning utility services fees SUBMITTED BY: *Anabel Chavez, Utility Customer Services Manager Rosylen Oglesby,Assistant City Manager SUMMARY EXPLANATION: YMC 7.50.040, relating to utility service fees contains language that is imprecise and outdated with respect to inflation rate adjustments. Specifically, the code references a U.S. Consumer Price Index(CPI)that no longer exists. To update code to a more standard CPI used in other applications by the City, as well as simplify inflation calculations, staff is proposing that the language revised. Please note, this is not a revision to utility rates, but simply the Utility Service Fees charged for various services provided to accounts; e.g. customer requested turn-ons and shut-offs, NSF check fee. illegal turn-on, etc. . ITEM BUDGETED: NA STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Public Trust and Accountability APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION: Pass Ordinance. ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Type D Ordinance red line Backup Material D Ordinance clean Ordinance 2 ORDINANCE NO. 2024- AN ORDINANCE amending the City of Yakima Municipal Code Section 7.50.040 relating to utility service fees. WHEREAS, the City of Yakima is engaged in various municipal functions, and the City provides various public services, several of which entail fees; and WHEREAS, the existing language in YMC 7.50.040 contains confusing language regarding inflation rate increases and contains a reference to Consumer Price Index that no longer exists; and WHEREAS, the fees and charges should be annually adjusted to account for inflation; and WHEREAS, in an effort to simplify inflation calculation and to complete the process of removing these fees from the Municipal Code into the Master Fee Schedule, now, therefore; BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA: Section 1. Section 7.50.040 of the City of Yakima Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: Fees and charges shall apply when the listed actions are taken/provided by the utility services division and/or water/irrigation division. The fees-a-re set forth in the Master Fee Schedule and Annually beginning in January 2025, Myrrh 70OR /or soon thereafter os r-eoson bly possible ba_ed upon availability of the indices set forth herein), an adjustment shall be added to the base figures that is either eighty percent of the Decem-laec lune to June change in the United States Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W)for the Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton Bellevue region or eighty percent of the December Implicit Price Deflator far-Personal Consumer Expenditures,whichever is lower and rounded to the nearest whole dollar_,to reflect the changes in inflation for these two indices over-the previous two cafe.ndar ye (For purposes of determining the change in the CPI, the standard reference base period of 1984 equals one hundred will be used.) The following fFees and charges shall be included and updated, as appropriate, in the Master Fee Schedule: a. Account reinstatement sti b. Start temporary water service(less than twenty-four hours in duration) c. Immediate service—customer request d. Irrigation shut-off fee e. Turn-on and shut-off customer request for nonbusiness hours 3 f. Meter obstruction charge(after notice) g. Check read charge,after first accurate check read within one billing cycle h. Lien processing fee i. Returned NSF check fee j. Field visit for delinquency k. (For future use) I. Illegal turn-on,tampering of utility $113.85 service or illegal connection as defined in YMC 7.50.100 *'Business hours"for purposes of this section correspond to the work shift of water service specialists established by the city water/irrigation division from time to time. Current work shift hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. through 3:30 p.m., excluding holidays. These hours are subject to change, and the utility services division will update and provide notice of business hours to customers by any means deemed appropriate, including posting of such information on its Internet website. Section 2. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect 30 days after its passage, approval, and publication as provided by law and by the City Charter. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, signed and approved this day of , 2024. Patricia Byers, Mayor ATTEST: Rosalinda Ibarra, City Clerk Publication Date: Effective Date: 4 ORDINANCE NO. 2024- AN ORDINANCE amending the City of Yakima Municipal Code Section 7.50.040 relating to utility service fees. WHEREAS, the City of Yakima is engaged in various municipal functions, and the City provides various public services, several of which entail fees; and WHEREAS, the existing language in YMC 7.50.040 contains confusing language regarding inflation rate increases and contains a reference to Consumer Price Index that no longer exists; and WHEREAS, the fees and charges should be annually adjusted to account for inflation; and WHEREAS, in an effort to simplify inflation calculation and to complete the process of removing these fees from the Municipal Code into the Master Fee Schedule, now, therefore; BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA: Section 1. Section 7.50.040 of the City of Yakima Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: Fees and charges shall apply when the listed actions are taken/provided by the utility services division and/or water/irrigation division. Annually beginning in January 2025, an adjustment shall be added to the base figures that is eighty percent of the June to June change in the United States Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-VV) for the Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue region rounded to the nearest whole dollar. (For purposes of determining the change in the CPI, the standard reference base period of 1984 equals one hundred will be used.) Fees and charges for the following actions shall be included, and updated as appropriate, in the Master Fee Schedule. a. Account reinstatement b. Start temporary water service (less than twenty-four hours in duration) c. Immediate service—customer request d. Irrigation shut-off fee e. Turn-on and shut-off customer request for nonbusiness hours f. Meter obstruction charge (after notice) g. Check read charge, after first accurate check read within one billing cycle 1 5 h. Lien processing i. Returned NSF check j. Field visit for delinquency k. (For future use) I. Illegal turn-on, tampering of $113.85 utility service or illegal connection as defined in YMC 7.50.100 * "Business hours" for purposes of this section correspond to the work shift of water service specialists established by the city water/irrigation division from time to time. Current work shift hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. through 3:30 p.m., excluding holidays. These hours are subject to change, and the utility services division will update and provide notice of business hours to customers by any means deemed appropriate, including posting of such information on its Internet website. Section 2. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect 30 days after its passage, approval, and publication as provided by law and by the City Charter. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, signed and approved this 7th day of May, 2024. Patricia Byers , Mayor ATTEST: Rosalinda Ibarra, City Clerk Publication Date: May 11, 2024 Effective Date: June 10, 2024 2