Relating to special assessments for the cost of public improvements and the collection of connection fees for the connection of property to certain city utilities

Code chapter 384, subchapter IV, authorizes a city to assess to private property within the city the cost of construction and repair of public improvements within the city, and main sewers, sewage pumping stations, disposal and treatment plants, waterworks, water mains, extensions, and drainage conduits extending outside the city. This bill modifies the definition of “public improvement” to include storm water culverts. The bill modifies the definition of “sewer” to include structures designed, constructed, and used for the purpose of controlling or carrying off storm water. The bill modifies the definition of “sewer systems” to include storm water culverts, and specifies sewer connections to include sanitary and storm water sewer connections. Current law provides cities the authority to establish, by ordinance after notice and a public hearing, one or more districts and schedules of fees for the connection of property to the city sewer or water utility. Each person whose property will be served by connecting to the city sewer or water utility is required to pay a connection fee to the city when the application for connection is filed. Current law specifies that a connection fee may include the equitable cost of extending the utility to the properties, including reasonable interest from the date of construction to the date of payment. The bill adds the equitable cost of providing the infrastructure to facilitate the conveyance of storm water from the properties to the types of costs that may be included as part of the connection fee. The bill authorizes cities to establish districts and schedules of fees for the conveyance of storm water from property by the storm water sewer utility. The storm water sewer utility connection fee is due and payable at the time of development, as defined in the bill. By operation of law, the bill applies to the authority of sanitary districts under Code chapter 358 to establish connection fees.