§ 1147-F — Charges by the authority; method of collection

§ 1147-f. Charges by the authority; method of collection. The\nauthority may fix and collect, on any equitable basis, rates, fees and\nother charges for the use of its facilities or of the services or\ncommodities provided by the authority. Such rates, rentals, fees and\nother charges may be fixed and collected from any person or corporation\nto which such facilities, services or commodities are provided or made\navailable from the authority. Such rates, rentals, fees and other\ncharges may be the same or different for each classification of user or\nservice recipient and may, by way of example, reflect the source and\ncomposition of the sewage. The authority shall not establish, fix or\nrevise any classification of user or rate, rental or fee or other charge\nunless and until the authority has held a public hearing at which\ninterested persons shall have an opportunity to be heard concerning the\nsame. Notice of any such public hearing shall be published at least ten\ndays before the date set therefor, in at least one newspaper of general\ncirculation in the boundaries of the authority. Such notice shall set\nforth the date, time and place of such hearing and shall include a brief\ndescription of matters to be considered at such meeting. A copy of such\nnotice shall be available for inspection by the public. At any such\nhearing, any interested persons shall have an opportunity to be heard\nconcerning the matters under consideration. Any decision by the\nauthority at such public hearing or relating to the matters under\nconsideration at such hearing shall be in writing and made available in\nthe office of the authority for public inspection during regular\nbusiness hours.\n All rates, fees and other charges for the use of the facilities or\nservices provided or made available by the authority and billed directly\nby the authority to the user or service recipient pursuant to a\nclassification of users or service recipients adopted by the authority\nas herein provided shall be lien upon the real property upon which, or\nin connection with which, services are provided or are made available,\nas and from the first date fixed for payment of such rates, rentals,\nfees and other charges. Any such lien shall take precedent over all\nother liens or encumbrances, except taxes or assessments. The treasurer\nof the authority shall prepare and transmit to the respective\nlegislative body of each town or village wholly or partially within the\nbounds of the authority, on or before the first day of December in each\nyear, a list of those properties within each respective town or village\nusing such facilities or for which such services were provided or made\navailable and from which the payment of rates, rentals, fees and other\ncharges are in arrears for a period of thirty days or more after the\nlast day fixed for payment of such rates, rentals, fees and other\ncharges without penalty. The list shall contain a brief description of\nsuch properties, the names of the persons or corporations liable to pay\nfor the same, and the amount chargeable to each, including penalties and\ninterest computed to December thirty-first of that year. Each governing\nbody shall levy such sums against the properties liable and shall state\nthe amount thereof in a separate column in the annual tax rolls of the\nvarious towns and villages under the heading "sewer disposal charge".\nSuch amounts, excluding penalties and interest when collected by the\nseveral town or village collectors or receivers of taxes, shall be paid\nover to the treasurer of the authority. Penalties and interest shall be\nretained by the collectors which shall become a part of the general\nfunds of the collecting town or village. All of the provisions of the\ntax law of the state governing enforcement and collection of unpaid\ntaxes or assessments for special improvements not inconsistent herewith\nshall apply to the collection of such unpaid rates, rentals, fees and\nother charges.\n