HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-014 Ordinance amending Yakima Municipal Code Title 7.50.040 concerning utility services fees ORDINANCE NO. 2024-014
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-W) 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
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.
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Publication Date: May 11, 2024
Effective Date: June 10, 2024
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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.
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