Council Meeting: November 28, 1995    Santa Monica, California


To:       Mayor and City Council

From:     City Staff

Subject:  Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance Amending    
          Certain Sections and Adding Sections to the Santa  
          Monica Municipal Code Relating to Water and Wastewater   
          Services


Introduction

This staff report introduces for first reading an ordinance
amending certain sections and adding sections to the Santa Monica
Municipal Code relating to water and wastewater services.  A
majority of the changes are technical in that they update
language to  reflect change of City department references, shift
internal administrative authority, and change procedures to
establish and amend fees by resolution rather than by ordinance. 
The ordinance establishes authority to impose a penalty charge
for late payments, authorizes an existing fee for City-performed
hydrant tests, and authorizes assessment of all other existing
fees by council resolution. Once this ordinance is adopted a
resolution setting the fees for the services contained in this
ordinance will be brought back to the Council for consideration.

Background

The City Council directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance
amending certain sections of the Santa Monica Municipal Code
relating to water and wastewater services.  The amended sections
provide consistent language throughout certain Municipal Code
sections, clarify sections so the City can better recover the
actual costs of water and wastewater services, and provide
consistency with City current policy of setting and revising fees
by resolution.  Many of these sections have not been revised
since the 1960's and 1970's.  Revisions include updating the
outdated references from "General Services Department" to
"Environmental and Public Works Management Department" and
replacing the reference to "Water Division" with "Utility
Division"; changing sewer connection fee to wastewater capital
fee; and transferring certain authority to the Utilities Manager.

There are three primary additions to this section of the code,
two of which authorize collection of fees, a late payment penalty
and a hydrant test fee.  The third section establishes a time
limit for credits and back charges which will codify current
administrative policy.  Two minor changes are made to clarify the
retrofit upon sale section of the Code.  Upon adoption of this
ordinance, staff will return to Council with an appropriate
resolution re-establishing existing fees and creating the late
payment fee and the hydrant flow test fee. 

Budget/Financial Impact

The recommendations contained in this staff report have no budget
and financial impact. 


Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council introduce for first
reading the attached ordinance amending and adding to certain
sections of the Santa Monica Municipal Code relating to Water and
Wastewater charges.

Prepared by:   Craig Perkins, Director of Environmental and
               Public Works Management
               John Mundy, Utilities Manager
               Jean Higbee, Senior Administrative Analyst

Attachment:  Ordinance