Any person, firm or corporation desiring a connection with the municipal water system of this city shall file a written application therefore with the city clerk upon a form furnished by the city for that purpose.

The following fees shall be charged to each customer:

(a)   Service charge for water connections. This means that any person putting in any new or enlarged water connection in the City of Minneapolis shall be charged the actual expense for material used plus any outside labor and equipment contracted. The amount shall be paid by the person applying for said connection before water service is turned on.

(b)   Administrative fee of Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) for each water utility connection except as provided below.

(c)   Reconnection fee of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) for each connection following a disconnection for the nonpayment of service at the same site for the same person.

(d)   No reconnection fee for the voluntary disconnection of services for less than one (1) year.

(e)   No Administrative fee shall be charged to a landowner who keeps utilities on after a tenant leaves the premises.

The city may extend its water mains within or without the city by construction or purchase, when applications have been made and agreements entered into by persons along the proposed extension that will produce a revenue in the judgment of the governing body, sufficient to pay interest on the cost of the extension, and the operating cost of the service furnished.

The revenue derived from the sale and consumption of water shall not be paid out or disbursed except for the purpose of operating, renewing or extending the plant or distribution system, the payment of interest on outstanding bonds issued for the construction, extension or purchase thereof, and the payment of salaries of the employees; and at any time that there may be a surplus of such fund, it shall, if needed to redeem bonds, be quarterly placed in a sinking fund, which shall only be used for the purpose of redeeming bonds that may have been issued for acquiring, renewing or extending said plant or distribution system, or making renewal or extensions thereto: Provided, that when any surplus of either the operating fund or sinking fund is not needed for any of the above stated purposes, said surpluses may be transferred and merged into the city general revenue fund or any other fund or funds of such city; or such surpluses, in whole or in part, may be set aside in a depreciation reserve fund which may be used as hereinabove provided, and which may be set invested in United States Government Bonds and in any municipal bonds of the State of Kansas: Provided, that such surplus funds so set aside shall not be invested in the bonds of any county, township, city or school district where the bonded indebtedness thereof shall exceed fifteen percent (15%) of its total assessed valuation as shown by the last assessment preceding such investment.

All cutoff stopcocks installed at the curb line on water service pipes leading from the mains to public or private premises in making connection with the waterworks plant that may hereafter be installed or replaced shall be of solid brass with brass T handle.

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, except as now or may hereafter be authorized by the city, to receive, consume, or in any manner divert or appropriate to his own use, or to the use of another, any water belonging to and made available by the City of Minneapolis.

No one except regular city employees of the water department or plumbers duly licensed in accordance with the ordinances of this city shall do any plumbing work on any pipes connected or to be connected to the municipal water system.

All plumbing and devises shall at all reasonable times be subject to inspection by duly authorized officials of the city.

The city hereby reserves the right to discontinue service to any or all consumers of the municipal water system without notice when the same is necessary in the repair or extension of said system or for the nonpayment of water bills.

It shall be unlawful for any person owning or occupying premises connected to the municipal water system to use or allow to be used during a fire, any water from said system, except for the purpose of extinguishing said fire.

All water furnished by the municipal water plant of this city shall be measured by meters furnished by the city for that purpose.

The rates for water shall be a minimum of $33.51 per month for the first 2,000 gallons; and $3.09 per thousand gallons in excess of 2,000 gallons.

(Ord. 1713)

All bills for use of water shall be due on the 20th day of each month and paid by the 20th day after the same becomes due, a penalty of two percent (2%) or ten dollars ($10.00) minimum (if only water service is received by customer) or two percent (2%) of total bill or ten dollars ($10.00) minimum (if both electric and water service are received by customer. If utility bill(s) are not paid on or before the 20th day of each month, a disconnect notice shall be issued in accordance with subsection (a) of this section.

(a)   Hearings. A request for hearing may be applied for by the customer if he/she feels they are not able to pay their water service on or by the 26th day of the month. The hearing request must be in writing and submitted to the hearing officer on or before the 24th day, after the due date of the current bill. The hearing officer shall schedule the request for hearing within three (3) working days after the request is received. Water utility service shall remain in effect, accruing and owing, until such time that the hearings officer has made a determination of good cause for non-payment, arrangements for payment shall be discussed, and payment plan given in writing to the customer to clear up the past due account. The customer on a payment of thirty-five dollars ($35.00) for future use of utilities (This amount for either or both electric and water), may appeal the hearing officer’s decision to the city council at their earliest convenience for a final decision.

(b)   Hearing officer shall be appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council.

(Ord. 1672; Code 2016)

Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined in any sum not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00), or be imprisoned for not more than thirty (30) days, or be both so fined and imprisoned.