3.85.040 Monthly utility service fees and rates.
(1) Fee Formula. A monthly service utility fee for the operation of the utility shall be established from time to time by ordinance of the City Council in conformity with RCW 35.21.766. The amount of the fee shall be based upon costs of regulating ambulance services and the costs of providing ambulance utility services as determined by a costs-of-service study required by RCW 35.21.766(3). Those costs, after transport charges and general fund contribution, shall be divided among the City of Pasco residents and other occupants based on a calculation of demand costs and availability costs, consistent with accepted principles of utility rate setting, including:
(a) The rate attributable to availability costs of the utility shall be uniformly applied across all user classifications within the utility.
(b) The rate attributable to demand costs which shall be established and billed to each utility user classification based upon each user classification’s burden on the utility.
The service fee charged by the utility shall reflect a combination of the rates attributed to both the availability cost and the demand cost. The resulting fee shall be assessed to identifiable use classifications. Fees shall not exceed the revenue requirements to cover the costs of the utility, as authorized by the City Council by adoption of an annual budget and subsequent amendments.
(2) Classifications. The monthly service fee shall be determined, in part, based upon the identified types of service provided to end users, including residential, accident scene response, public facilities and other identified ambulance service users. The monthly service fee shall be assessed on each of the following utility user classifications:
(a) Single-Family Residential. Each residential unit shall be assessed as one ERU per residence in the amount indicated in the fee schedule in PMC 3.35.010.
(b) Multifamily Residential. Each residential unit shall be assessed as one ERU per residential unit in the amount indicated in the fee schedule in PMC 3.35.010.
(c) Commercial/Business/Industrial. Each business shall be assessed a monthly base utility charge in the amount indicated in the schedule of fees and charges for each ERU in PMC 3.35.010. The number of ERU shall be calculated by dividing the total number of FTEs employed by such business or industry by the number representing the average household size of residential and housing units within the City (as published and updated by Office of Financial Management of the State of Washington) computed on an annual basis. If there are multiple businesses located at one utility account location, the FTEs employed for all businesses will be used in the calculation. The City reserves the right to update the business FTEs based on information received from the business and/or official data collected by the State of Washington. Utility account owner will receive notification of any changes made by the City.
(3) Rates Formula. The resident emergency medical service rate for the transport and transfer of patients shall be distinguished from the nonresident rate which shall reflect the full costs of providing emergency medical services for each classification calculated on a per call basis. The resident rate shall be subject to a credit for the ambulance service utility fee paid by the City residents and businesses as calculated on a per call basis. This credit shall correspond to the ambulance service utility fees paid by City residents and businesses as opposed to nonresidents who have not paid the utility fee. [Ord. 4442 § 2, 2019; Ord. 4369, 2017; Ord. 3799, 2006; Code 1970 § 3.05.025.]