Notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of Shipshewana, Indiana will hold a public hearing concerning the adoption of a proposed ordinance whereby certain current service rates, fees, and charges of the sewage works will be increased by 15% with respect to customers located outside the Town. All interested persons may be heard concerning such items.
Notice is further given that the hearing will be held on March 23, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in the Shipshewana Town Hall located at 345 Morton St., Shipshewana, Indiana 46565. After such hearing, which may be adjourned from time to time, the Town Council, after considering all testimony, may take final action on the ordinance or defer final action until a subsequent meeting.
Following adoption of the ordinance, users of the waterworks with property located outside the Town’s corporate boundaries may be entitled to petition the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to review and adjust the rates and charges imposed on such users if a petition under IC § 8-1.5-3-8.2 or under IC § 36-9-23-26.1 has not been filed.
A copy of the ordinance as introduced may be examined at the office of the Clerk-Treasurer. A copy of the proposed rates and charges follows.
Dated this 17th day of February 2023.
TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF
SHIPSHEWANA, INDIANA
By: Tad Hite, Clerk-Treasurer
AN ORDINANCE MODIFYING RATES AND CHARGES RELATED TO THE TOWN OF SHIPSHEWANA SEWAGE WORKS.
- Usage Charge. Unmetered Users. The utility billing clerk shall assess on each utility bill of any unmetered user a monthly usage charge for the use of the sewage works in the following amounts:
| Unmetered Usage Charge
(monthly) |
In-Town Rate | Out-of-Town Rate |
| $32.04 | $36.85 |
- Metered Users. The utility billing clerk shall assess on each utility bill a monthly usage charge for the use of the sewage works, including the costs of operation, maintenance, and replacement. The amount of the usage charge shall equal a volume charge plus a capital charge, as each is further described in this section.
- Volume Charge. The volume charge equals the following amounts:
| Volume Charge
(per 1,000 gallons) |
In-Town Rate | Out-of-Town Rate |
| $5.88 | $6.76 |
- Capital Charge. The capital charge is based on the customer class, as follows:
| Capital Charge (monthly) | |||||||
| Meter Size | Meter
Equivalency |
In-Town Rate | Out-of-Town Rate | ||||
| Residential
& Institutional Customers |
Industrial Customers | Commercial Customers | Residential
& Institutional Customers |
Industrial Customers | Commercial Customers | ||
| Less than 1” Meter | 1.00 | $5.78 | $16.35 | $28.56 | $6.65 | $18.80 | $32.84 |
| 1” Meter | 2.50 | $14.44 | $40.88 | $71.39 | $16.61 | $47.01 | $82.10 |
| 1-½” Meter | 5.81 | $33.56 | $94.99 | $165.92 | $38.59 | $109.24 | $190.81 |
| 2” Meter | 10.01 | $57.80 | $163.66 | $285.86 | $66.47 | $188.21 | $328.74 |
| 3” Meter | 23.03 | $132.99 | $376.54 | $657.69 | $152.94 | $433.02 | $756.34 |
| 4” Meter | 40.96 | $236.52 | $669.70 | $1,169.74 | $272.00 | $770.16 | $1,345.20 |
| 6” Meter | 92.16 | $532.17 | $1,506.82 | $2,631.36 | $612.00 | $1,732.84 | $3,026.06 |
| 8” Meter | 163.84 | $946.08 | $2,678.78 | $4,678.96 | $1,087.99 | $3,080.60 | $5,380.80 |
- Connection Charge.
- As used in this section, “EDU” stands for “equivalent dwelling unit” and means the average daily flow to the sewage works for a single-family residence served by a 5/8-inch through 3/4-inch meter, but not in excess of 310 gallons per day.
- The Town Council shall determine the estimated number of EDUs for a respective unit based on an industry-standard formula.
- Tap-In Charge. Prior to connection to the sewage works, the Town shall assess and collect a tap-in charge in the amount of:
- One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) for a residential customer; and
- $1,500.00 for each of the estimated number of EDUs for the unit, as determined by the Town Council, for each commercial, industrial, and institutional customer.
- Service Charge. The customer shall pay the contractor or other person designated by the Town a service fee in an amount equal to the cost of labor and materials necessary to perform the tap-in, meter installation, and related services from the main to the curb stop.
- Additional Charges. Surveillance Charge. The utility billing clerk shall assess on the utility bill a surveillance charge whenever the Town requires or is requested to perform an independent consultant test with respect to a unit’s wastewater or related infrastructure in an amount equal to the total cost of the test.
- Equipment Replacement. Whenever the Town replaces infrastructure of the sewage works or private sewer facilities for causes properly attributable to a customer, owner, tenant, or other person, the utility billing clerk shall assess on that person’s utility bill an equipment replacement fee of One Hundred Fifty Percent (150%) of the costs incurred by the Town.
- After-Hours Service Charge. To the extent a customer requires the Town to send an employee or other agent to address a concern with the customer’s wastewater service, the utility billing clerk shall assess on that customer’s utility bill an after-hours service charge of Thirty Dollars ($30.00) per responder on each call, plus an additional $30.00 per hour after the first hour of service.
- Effective Date. This ordinance shall be deemed effective as of May 1, 2023.
