CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light Department; amending Section 21.49.090 of the Seattle Municipal Code to clarify the Department’s discretion to allow additional services on a parcel as it deems necessary to provide adequate service to customers.
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WHEREAS, in the context of its Transportation Electrification Strategic Investment Plan, the City Light Department (the “Department”) wishes both to enable its customer-owners’ energy choices and to facilitate the electrification of transportation pursuant to authority granted to the utility in 2019 by the State of Washington; and
WHEREAS, feedback from the Department’s customer-owners indicates that application of Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) Section 21.49.090 under a policy entitled “Single Site, Single Service” (commonly known as “One site, one service”) poses a barrier to the efficient and timely deployment of electric vehicle (“EV”) charging sites throughout the Department’s service area and to designing and implementing solutions that serve other needs of customer-owners; and
WHEREAS, the Department has determined that a modification to SMC 21.49.090 will better meet the Department’s needs and transportation electrification goals while at the same time ensuring that services are properly engineered and safeguarding the safety of the utility’s field personnel, emergency first responders, and the general public; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 21.49.090 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 123988, is amended as follows:
21.49.090 Rate, meter reading, and billing provisions
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B. ((Single meter, single)) Individually metered service. All rates in this Chapter 21.49 apply to electricity supplied through a single meter to individual customers at each building or premises not separated by intervening property, streets, or alleys commonly used as public thoroughfares. ((At the option of)) In the Department’s sole discretion, however, two or more physically and mechanically connected buildings used for a single business function under one ownership may be supplied through one point of delivery and one meter even though they are separated by intervening property or a street or alley, where such service is necessary for efficient deployment of utility-owned facilities. Two buildings merely joined by a walkway or mall across the street, alley, or public thoroughfare will not be allowed a single service and meter for both. In the event two or more premises under one ownership that are physically and mechanically connected, used for a single business function, and supplied through one point of delivery and one meter, undergo a change in ownership, so that each premises is separately owned, each premises will require a single service pursuant to this Chapter 21.49. Each building owner(s) will be responsible for the conversion to a single meter at its sole expense. Such conversion will be subject to the installation charges set out in subsection 21.49.110.T. Exceptions to the requirement for single meter, single service may be provided through the Department's authority granted in Section 21.49.130. No exception shall be granted for services with demand greater than that defined under Section 21.49.052.
C. Added service. At the sole discretion of the Department, ((any)) and subject to efficient deployment of utility assets, the Department may supply additional services on a given premise such as is deemed necessary for customer use. Any additional service supplied to the same customer in the same structure premises at different voltage or phase shall be separately metered and billed, and the customer shall pay for the installation of the service.
D. Totalizing multiple meters. The Department may waive the application of rates to each meter and permit the reading of two or more meters at a single contiguous location to be totaled for billing purposes when the premises are billed for electric service under residential, large general service or high demand general service rate schedules, as defined in Sections 21.49.057 and 21.49.058, and the Department determines that the maintenance of adequate service and/or that the Department's convenience requires more than one meter for each type of service or load classification.
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Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2020, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2020.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
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Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)