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Home My WebLink AboutO-1973-950 . . ,. ORDINANCE NO. 950 AN ORDINANCE DETERMINING AND FIXING THE MAXIMUM SCHEDULES OF RATES TO BE CHARGED BY UNITED GAS, INC., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, IN THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS, FOR NATURAL GAS AND NATURAL GAS SERVICE FURNISHED BY IT TO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSUMERS, PROVIDING FOR GAS COST AND OTHER COST ADJUSTMENTS, CONTAINING DEFINITIONS, FIXING THE EFFECTIVE DATES OF GAS RATES PRESCRIBED IN THIS ORDINANCE, MAKING MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT. WHEREAS, United Gas, Inc. has filed with the City of La Porte, and presented to the City Commission of said City an app1ica- tion for an increase in rates to be charged to its customers for natural gas and natural gas service within the City of La Porte; . and . . WHEREAS, the amount of said increases is only sufficient to cover in part the increase in gas costs, wages and employee benefits and other costs of United Gas, Inc. since the dates the rates of said corporation were last adjusted by the City of La Porte for increases in such expense items; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds and concludes that the following o~dinance shall be enacted, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS: Section One: That the following rates, as adjusted in the manner provided in Section Four, are established, subject to the terms and' conditions hereof, as the maximum rates which may be charged by United Gas, Inc., its successors and assigns (hereinafter referred to as "United"), in the furnishing and supplying of natural gas ser- vice of the type and class hereinafter specified, to consumers there- of, . for consumption within the corporate limits of the City of La Porte. Section Two: Residential Service (A) Application - This schedule shall be applicable to natural gas supplied to residential consumers, which gas shall be for the individual use of the customer at one point of delivery and shall not be resold. (B) Residential Consumers Defined - Residential consumers are defined to be consumers of gas to whom service is supplied at one point of delivery for a single private dwelling unit and its appurtenances, the major use of which is for household appliances, and for the personal comfort and.convenience of those residing therein and is not resold or shared with others. (C) NET MONTHLY RATE: The net'monthly bill shall be calculated' from the following schedule of rates: . ., . . . . 1. For the billing months of May through October: $2.00 per month, which includes the use of l2.3~ per 100 cubic feet for the next . 11.0~ per 100 cubic feet for the next 4.2~ per lOO cubic feet for all additional gas Minimum Bill: $2.00 2. For the billing months of November through April: $2.00 per month, which includes the use of l2.3~ per 100 cubic feet for the next 11.0~ per 100 cubic feet for the next 9.0~ per 100 cubic feet for the next 5.5~ per 100 cubic feet for all additional gas Minimum Bill: $2.00 MINIMUM BILL 400 2,600 3,000 used. cubic feet cubic feet cubic feet 400 2,600 3,000 10,000 used. cubic cubic cubic cubic feet feet feet feet No monthly bill shall be rendered under this schedule for an amount less than $2.00 net. PAYMENT Each monthly residential bill shall be increased by the lesser of (a) 10% of the net monthly bill or (b) $3.00, to arrive at the gross monthly bill. The difference between the gross bill and the net bill, representing a discount, shall be allowed for payment of bills within ten (10) days after the date of the bill. If a gas bill is not paid within ten (10) days after its date, the gross bill shall apply. ADJUSTMENT PROVISION The above monthly ~ates shall be and are hereby in- creased by twenty-five hundredths of one cent (.25t) for each 100 cubic feet of gas consumed. Section Three: Commercial Service (A) Application - This schedule shall be natural gas supplied to commercial consumers, which for the individual use of the customer at one point and shall not be resold or shared with others. applicable to gas shall be of delivery (B) Commercial consumers are defined to be consumers of gas engaging in any business, professional, or institutional activity, to whom gas is supplied at one point of delivery for unrestricted uses, including cooking, heating, refrigeration, water heating, air conditioning and power and is not resold or shared with others. (C) NET MONTHLY RATE: The net monthly bill shall be calculated fr.om the following, $,che4ule of' rates: $2.25 per month, ,which includes the use of l3.3~ per 100 cubic feet for the next ll.O~ per 100 cubic feet for the next 7.5~ per 100 cubic feet for the next 6.0~ per 100 cubic feet for all additional gas Minimum Bill: $2.25 -2- 400 8,600 11,000 10,000 used. cubic cubic cubic cubic feet feet feet feet . . . . . . MINIMUM BILL No monthly bill shall be rendered under this schedule for an amount less than $2.25 net. PAYMENT Each monthly commercial bill shall be increased by the lesser of (a) 10% of the net monthly bill or (b) $5.00, to arrive at the gross monthly bill. The difference between the gross bill and the net bill, representing a discount, shall be allowed for payment of bills within ten (10) days after the date of the bill. If a gas bill is not paid within ten (10) days after its date, the gross bill shall apply. ADJUSTMENT PROVISION The above monthly rates shall be and are hereby increased by twenty-five hundredths of one cent (.25t) for each 100 cubic feet of gas consumed. Section Four: The foregoing rates are established to be uniform with the rates established for United in the City of Hous- ton, Texas, by City of Houston Ordinance No. 72-2372, because said rates established by City of Houston Ordinance No. 72-2372 were based upon United's cost of service in its Houston Integrated Dis- tribution System and the value of all facilities therein used by United in serving the City of Houston, the City of La Porte and the other cities, towns and villages, as well as the environs thereof, served by said distribution system. In order to keep United's domestic gas rates to consumers in the City of La Porte uniform with united's domestic gas rates to consumers in the City of Houston, the rates fixed by this ordinance shall be subject to adjustment hereafter whenever an adjustment is made in the rates fixed by City of Houston Ordinance No. 72-2372 pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of that ordinance. Whenever any filing is made by United with the City of Houston pursuant to the pro- visions of Section 3 of City of Houston Ordinance No. 72-2372 for an adjustment of rates, united shall file with this City Commis- sion a statement of such tentative adjustment of its rate schedules as it may desire to put into effect in the case of an increase, or as may be necessary in the case of a decrease, to make its rates in the City of La Porte uniform with rates in the City of Houston established as a result of any adjustment of rates pursuant to Section 3 of City of Houston Ordinance No. 72-2372. Each such tentative adjustment in rates of United shall become effective for bills rendered on or after the first day of the second full billing month after the filing of such statement unless, within thirty (30) days after the filing of such statement, the City Commission shall have disapproved such tentative adjust- ment by motion, resolution or ordinance. If any such tentative adjustment shall be disapproved by the City Commission, such rate schedules shall continue to be adjusted by the total increments established by all preceding adjustments not disapproved, until another adjustment shall have taken effect hereunder. Within the thirty (30) day period provided for its approval or disapproval of any such tentative adjustment, the City Commission may order the filing of any additional or supplemental information or state- ments deemed by it to be necessary in the public interest, or the City Commission may order a public hearing to be held within said thirty (30) day period or within the suspension period hereinafter -3- '. . . . '. J . mentioned, if one is so ordered by the City Commission, with regard to the approval or disapproval of such tentative adjust- ment. Furthermore, within such thirty (30) day period the City Commission may, by motion, resolution or ordinance, suspend any such increase for a period ending on a date not more than sixty (60) days after the date on which such increase would otherwise become effective; provided, that if such increase is not dis- approved within such suspension period, it shall become effective at the expiration thereof, unless the City Commission by motion, resolution or ordinance specifies an earlier effective date. Any decrease hereunder shall become effective automatically. Section Five: By the term "billing month" as herein- above used is meant the month within which the bill for service is scheduled to be mailed or otherwise delivered to the customer. The use of cycle billing is authorized, provided bills for gas service will normally be based on a monthly period of approximately thirty (30) days and not more than twelve (12) bills for gas ser- vice shall be rendered to one customer covering service to one residence during any calendar year. Section Six: All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are repealed to the extent of the conflict only. Section Seven: If any provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, void or invalid (or for any reason unenforceable), the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance shall not be affected thereby, it being the intention of the City Commission of this City in adopting this ordinance that no portion thereof or provision or regulation contained therein shall become inoperative or fail by reason of any uncon- stitutionality or invalidity of any other portion, provision or regulation, and to this end, all provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable. Section Eight: The rates and charges prescribed in this ordinance for residential consumers and commercial consumers shall apply to all gas used by such consumers to whom such rates are applicable on and after their first regular meter reading dates following the effective date of this ordinance. Section Nine: This ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after its final passage and approval. PASSED AND APPROVED, this the 22nd da~ of February , 1973. ATTEST: ~' ,'.'-'.-/~ 'd~~./ _ . Ci ty.c Clerk ~~ he Ci;r of-La Porte, (SEAt ) ~J r ~.. /J-.ft-~~ Mayor of the City of La Porte, Texas Texas PI) City Attorney of the City of La Porte, ~exas -4-