Title
Amending Chapter 87 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code pertaining to categories that exclude one-inch street service connections from qualifying for schedule charge rates.
Body
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL DOES ORDAIN:
SECTION 1
That chapter 87 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
Chapter 87. - Water Code - Water Service Connections
Sec. 87.13. Cost and payment of street service connections.
(a) Street service connections shall be installed by the utility after a contract has been executed. All street service connections shall be installed based on actual cost, including labor, equipment, materials and overhead, except for those addressed in section 87.14.
(b) The council may order street service connections made to vacant property and to occupied property not presently serviced by city water in advance of any pavement to be laid on the street. The cost of such street service connection shall be at the rates or actual costs as provided in this chapter and paid for through assessment against benefited properties upon completion of the work.
(c) Unless installed under provisions of paragraph (b), payment shall be made or arranged for prior to installation. Payment shall be at the rate in effect at the time payment is made, and shall include payment for meter setting costs in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 88.
Sec. 87.14. - Charges for one-inch street service connections, taps of all sizes and related work where excavation is provided by others.
A schedule of charges for installation of 1-inch street service connections, taps of all sizes and related work where the water utility determines excavation and restoration is to be provided by the owner shall be approved by city council resolution based on the recommendation of the board of water commissioners in the same manner as water charges, as described in Section 85.01. Excavation and restoration as required by the water utility shall be accomplished by a contractor licensed to perform such work.
Sec. 87.14. - Charges for street service connections, taps and related work.
(a) Charges for 1-inch street service connections and all taps shall be approved by city council resolution based on the recommendation of the board of water commissioners, at the same time and in the same manner as water charges, as described in Section 85.01.
(b) One-inch street service connections and all taps in the following categories are excluded from the charges approved by city council resolution and shall be charged actual cost in accordance with section 87.13
(1) Connections in the downtown area. The downtown area shall be defined as follows: An area bounded by and including University Avenue on the north, Lafayette Road and State Trunk Highway 3 on the east, Shepard and Warner Roads on the south and Chestnut Street to Summit Avenue to John Ireland Boulevard to Rice Street on the west.
(2) Connections in rock areas and tunnels, as determined by the water utility.
(3) Connections in rights of way wider than 79 feet.
(4) Connections that cannot be installed utilizing pneumatic underground piercing equipment.
(5) Connections that require extraordinary excavation or restoration.
(c) An administrative fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) shall be charged for each street service connection or fire service installed by a contractor in conjunction with new street mains described in section 87.03 and each connection installed by a contractor in conjunction with a new private water main. This fee will compensate the water utility for account initiation and account maintenance costs which costs are included in the schedule charges for service connection installation work performed by the water utility.
Sec. 87.16. - Cut off of street service connections.
The property owner shall be responsible for all costs associated with the cut off of street service connections addressed in this section, including providing for excavation and restoration as required by the water utility. Excavation and restoration required for cut off work shall be accomplished by a contractor licensed to perform such work. In certain circumstances and as may be required by the water utility, excavation and restoration may be performed by the water utility. All pipe work required for the cut off of street service connections shall be performed by the water utility, except as described in paragraph (d).
(a) Cut off at water main by water utility. The following circumstances require the cut off of street service connection(s) at the water main:
(1) Whenever a property is redeveloped. This shall apply to all unused street service connections that extend to the property;
(2) Whenever a property owner requests that an existing lead street service connection be replaced in a different location, more than three (3) feet from the existing location, as provided insection 87.03(f);
(3) Whenever a property owner requests that a street connection serving an existing building be replaced;
(4) Whenever required by the water utility when certain water pipe materials, excavation obstructions or other such considerations make a property line cut off described in paragraph (d) unfeasible.
(b) Delay due to recent street surface paving. Where cut off of street service connection(s) at the water main is required within a public street right-of-way where the street surface has been recently repaved, and the authority governing excavation within said street right-of-way has a duly adopted ordinance or other law restricting excavation within such recently repaved street surfaces, said governing authority may require a delay of such cut off(s) until such time as said street surface is again repaved. In the case of such requirement, said governing authority shall, at its own expense, provide for the excavation and backfilling for said delayed cut off.
(c) Charges for cut off of street service connection by water utility. Charges for cut off of street service connections shall be approved by city council resolution based on the recommendation of the board of water commissioners, at the same time and in the same manner as water charges, as described in section 85.01.
(d) Cut off required for building demolition. Prior to the demolition of a building, all street service connections shall be cut off, properly capped and retained at the property line or stop box, exact location to be determined by the water utility. Property line cut off pipe work inside property shall be performed by a city licensed plumber and inspected by a water utility plumbing inspector.
(e) Change in cut off location. Where certain water pipe materials, excavation obstructions or other such considerations make a cut off location required by this section unfeasible, the water utility may require the cut off be performed at a different location.
SECTION 2
All other sections of Chapter 87 shall remain unchanged.
SECTION 3
This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force January 1, 2014.