Source: http://wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb2573%20intr.htm&yr=2019&sesstype=RS&i=2573
Timestamp: 2019-12-05 20:37:59
Document Index: 566355750

Matched Legal Cases: ['§16', '§16', '§16', '§122', '§22', '§22']

By Delegate Doyle, Brown, S. Evans, Pushkin and Hornbuckle
A BILL to amend and reenact §16-13A-9 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to requiring new commercial and industrial customers to pay for the construction of any expanded or upgraded public service district facilities if the district’s present facilities are insufficient to serve the needs of that commercial or industrial consumer; and prohibiting any costs being passed on to present consumers.
(b) If a commercial or industrial concern locates one or more of its facilities in a public service district whose facilities are insufficient to serve the needs of that commercial or industrial consumer without expansion or upgrade to the district’s facilities, the commercial or industrial customer is responsible for all costs associated with the construction of the expanded or upgraded public service district facilities. While the affected public service district may determine the rates for the future and ongoing services it provides to that commercial or industrial consumer, in no event may it or the Public Service Commission permit the expansion or upgrade costs be passed along or borne by the district’s other customers.
(b) (c) In the event that any publicly or privately owned utility, city, incorporated town, other municipal corporation or other public service district included within the district owns and operates separate water facilities, sewer facilities, or stormwater facilities, and the district owns and operates another kind of facility, either water or sewer, or both, as the case may be, then the district and the publicly or privately owned utility, city, incorporated town or other municipal corporation or other public service district shall covenant and contract with each other to shut off and discontinue the supplying of water service for the nonpayment of sewer or stormwater service fees and charges: Provided, That any contracts entered into by a public service district pursuant to this section shall be submitted to the Public Service Commission for approval. Any public service district which provides water and sewer service, water and stormwater service or water, sewer and stormwater service has the right to terminate water service for delinquency in payment of water, sewer or stormwater bills. Where one public service district is providing sewer service and another public service district or a municipality included within the boundaries of the sewer or stormwater district is providing water service and the district providing sewer or stormwater service experiences a delinquency in payment, the district or the municipality included within the boundaries of the sewer or stormwater district that is providing water service, upon the request of the district providing sewer or stormwater service to the delinquent account, shall terminate its water service to the customer having the delinquent sewer or stormwater account: Provided, however, That any termination of water service must comply with all rules and orders of the Public Service Commission: Provided further, That nothing contained within the rules of the Public Service Commission shall be deemed to require any agents or employees of the public service districts to accept payment at the customer’s premises in lieu of discontinuing service for a delinquent bill.
(c) (d) Any district furnishing sewer facilities within the district may require or may, by petition to the circuit court of the county in which the property is located, compel or may require the Bureau for Public Health to compel all owners, tenants, or occupants of any houses, dwellings, and buildings located near any sewer facilities where sewage will flow by gravity or be transported by other methods approved by the Bureau for Public Health, including, but not limited to, vacuum and pressure systems, approved under the provisions of §16-1-9 of this code, from the houses, dwellings, or buildings into the sewer facilities, to connect with and use the sewer facilities and to cease the use of all other means for the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage and waste matters from the houses, dwellings, and buildings where there is gravity flow or transportation by any other methods approved by the Bureau for Public Health, including, but not limited to, vacuum and pressure systems, approved under the provisions of §16-1-9 of this code and the houses, dwellings, and buildings can be adequately served by the sewer facilities of the district and it is declared that the mandatory use of the sewer facilities provided for in this subsection is necessary and essential for the health and welfare of the inhabitants and residents of the districts and of the state. If the public service district requires the property owner to connect with the sewer facilities even when sewage from dwellings may not flow to the main line by gravity and the property owner incurs costs for any changes in the existing dwellings’ exterior plumbing in order to connect to the main sewer line, the public service district board shall authorize the district to pay all reasonable costs for the changes in the exterior plumbing, including, but not limited to, installation, operation, maintenance, and purchase of a pump or any other method approved by the Bureau for Public Health. Maintenance and operation costs for the extra installation should be reflected in the users charge for approval of the Public Service Commission. The circuit court shall adjudicate the merits of the petition by summary hearing to be held not later than 30 days after service of petition to the appropriate owners, tenants, or occupants.
(d) (e) Whenever any district has made available sewer facilities to any owner, tenant, or occupant of any house, dwelling, or building located near the sewer facility and the engineer for the district has certified that the sewer facilities are available to and are adequate to serve the owner, tenant, or occupant and sewage will flow by gravity or be transported by other methods approved by the Bureau for Public Health from the house, dwelling, or building into the sewer facilities, the district may charge, and the owner, tenant, or occupant shall pay, the rates and charges for services established under this article only after 30 days’ notice of the availability of the facilities has been received by the owner, tenant, or occupant. Rates and charges for sewage services shall be based upon actual water consumption or the average monthly water consumption based upon the owner’s, tenant’s, or occupant’s specific customer class.
(e) (f) The owner, tenant, or occupant of any real property may be determined and declared to be served by a stormwater system only after each of the following conditions is met: (1) The district has been designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an entity to serve a West Virginia Separate Storm Sewer System community, as defined in 40 C. F. R. §122.26; (2) the district’s authority has been properly expanded to operate and maintain a stormwater system; (3) the district has made available a stormwater system where stormwater from the real property affects or drains into the stormwater system; and (4) the real property is located in the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System’s designated service area. It is further hereby found, determined, and declared that the mandatory use of the stormwater system is necessary and essential for the health and welfare of the inhabitants and residents of the district and of the state. The district may charge and the owner, tenant, or occupant shall pay the rates, fees, and charges for stormwater services established under this article only after 30 days’ notice of the availability of the stormwater system has been received by the owner. An entity providing stormwater service shall provide a tenant a report of the stormwater fee charged for the entire property and, if appropriate, that portion of the fee to be assessed to the tenant.
(f) (g) All delinquent fees, rates, and charges of the district for either water facilities, sewer facilities, gas facilities, or stormwater systems or stormwater management programs are liens on the premises served of equal dignity, rank, and priority with the lien on the premises of state, county, school, and municipal taxes. Nothing contained within the rules of the Public Service Commission shall be deemed to require any agents or employees of the public service districts to accept payment at the customer’s premises in lieu of discontinuing service for a delinquent bill. In addition to the other remedies provided in this section, public service districts are granted a deferral of filing fees or other fees and costs incidental to the bringing and maintenance of an action in magistrate court for the collection of delinquent water, sewer, stormwater, or gas bills. If the district collects the delinquent account, plus reasonable costs, from its customer or other responsible party, the district shall pay to the magistrate the normal filing fee and reasonable costs which were previously deferred. In addition, each public service district may exchange with other public service districts a list of delinquent accounts: Provided, That an owner of real property may not be held liable for the delinquent rates or charges for services or facilities of a tenant, nor may any lien attach to real property for the reason of delinquent rates or charges for services or facilities of a tenant of the real property unless the owner has contracted directly with the public service district to purchase the services or facilities.
(g) (h) Anything in this section to the contrary notwithstanding, any establishment, as defined in §22-11-3 of this code, now or hereafter operating its own sewage disposal system pursuant to a permit issued by the Department of Environmental Protection, as prescribed by §22-11-11 of this code, is exempt from the provisions of this section.
(h) (i) A public service district which has been designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an entity to serve a West Virginia Separate Storm Sewer System community shall prepare an annual report detailing the collection and expenditure of rates, fees, or charges and make it available for public review at the place of business of the governing body and the stormwater utility main office.
(i) (j) Notwithstanding any code provision to the contrary, a public service district may accept payment for all fees and charges due, in the form of a payment by a credit or check card transaction or a direct withdrawal from a bank account. The public service district may set a fee to be added to each transaction equal to the charge paid by the public service district for use of the credit or check card or direct withdrawal by the payor. The amount of such fee shall be disclosed to the payor prior to the transaction and no other fees for the use of a credit or check card or direct withdrawal may be imposed upon the payor and the whole of such charge or convenience fee shall be borne by the payor: Provided, That to the extent a public service district desires to accept payments in the forms described in this subsection and does not have access to the equipment or receive the services necessary to do so, the public service district shall first obtain three bids for services and equipment necessary to affect the forms of transactions described in this subsection and use the lowest qualified bid received. Acceptance of a credit or check card or direct withdrawal as a form of payment shall comport with the rules and requirements set forth by the credit or check card provider or banking institution.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require new commercial and industrial customers to pay for the construction of any expanded or upgraded public service district facilities if the district’s present facilities are insufficient to serve the needs of that commercial or industrial consumer. The bill prohibits any costs being passed on to present consumers.