Title
AN ORDINANCE revising administrative provisions of the wastewater capacity charge in accordance with RCW 35.58.570; and amending Ordinance 11034, Section 5, as amended, and K.C.C. 28.84.050.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. In 1989, the Washington state legislature authorized Metro to levy a monthly capacity charge which was limited to seven dollars per single family residence, or equivalent, for fifteen years.
2. Metro began collecting a capacity charge from customers who connected, reconnected or established new service after February 1, 1990, to cover the capital costs of the new capacity that was being added to the wastewater treatment system.
3. Ordinance 11034, enacted in 1993, established the current King County Code relating to the administration of the capacity charge. Ordinance 11034 essentially transferred to the county governing legislation for the utility, in carrying out the merger of Metro with King County.
4. With the adoption of the Regional Wastewater Services Plan in 1999, King County identified the need and sought to amend state law to allow the rate to be set annually by King County without a state imposed limit so that the charge was equal to the estimated capital costs. This authority was secured in the 2000 legislative session, under RCW 35.58.570.
5. In 2001, King County amended the Regional Wastewater Services Plan policies to include financial policies regarding the methodology and calculation of the capacity charge to be established annually by the King County council.
6. In 1993, when Ordinance 11034 was enacted, the capacity charge was relatively new and administrative practices to implement the charge had not been fully developed. Since that time, the capacity charge program has become well established and the wastewater treatment division now has over fifteen years of experience in its implementation.
7. The wastewater treatment division developed practices consistent with current code, but the existing code l...

Click here for full text