A. Permission to Connect. The city council shall have the power and authority to determine when and if specific buildings, premises or structures beyond the city limits of the city shall, upon the petition of the owner, be permitted to attach to the water distribution system of the city. Upon petition or application being made to the city by the owner of property, together with the payment of the fees, if any, for such application, the city council shall determine whether to furnish water. Among other things the council shall consider the following: the effect upon public health and safety; whether such attachment will be in the best interests of the city and its residents; and the availability of water and proximity of city water infrastructure.

B. Connection Requirements. Upon approval of application the terms, conditions and requirements thereof shall be as follows:

1. Applicant shall perform the following:

a. Pay all connection fee, water permit fee, and plant investment fee and other charges required for a new connection.

b. Construct a service line in accordance with city standards.

2. If the applicant is contiguous to the city limit, the applicant shall execute a petition for annexation. If the applicant is not contiguous to the city limit, the applicant shall execute a waiver of protest to annexation. All applicants shall provide a waiver of protest for the creation of special improvement districts for water improvements, whether prior to or subsequent to the time that such premises would be annexed into the city, such petition and waiver to be in the form as prescribed by the city on file with the clerk of the city.

3. Pay to the city the volume and service charges for the furnishing of water as charged by the city for users within the city, plus an additional percent of that sum, established in the rate schedule, the consideration therefore being the furnishing of water to users outside the city limits.

4. The applicant shall provide, install and maintain in good condition an approved metering device to meter the water supplied to applicant. Such metering devices shall remain the exclusive property of the city.

5. Connect to city of Columbia Falls municipal sewer, if the city council, at its sole discretion, determines that the sewer main is reasonably proximate to the applicants property, sufficient sewer capacity is available to accept connection, and the requirement to connect

is in the best interest of the sewer utility and the city. (Ord. 653 § 1(part), 2004)