14-2115. Utilities district; general powers and duties; operation of utilities separately; actions prohibited.

(1) A metropolitan utilities district shall operate and account for each of its several utilities separately and, as to each separate utility, shall possess all powers granted on behalf of that utility or on behalf of any other utility being operated by such district, or granted generally to such district, and all such powers are hereby declared to be cumulative, though separate, as to each utility, except that limitations or restrictions which by their nature or intent are applicable only to a utility of one type shall not apply to other different utilities. The financial obligations of each utility shall be separate and independent from the financial obligations of any other utility.

(2) A metropolitan utilities district shall keep all funds, accounts, and obligations relating to any one utility under its management separate and independent from the funds and accounts of each other utility under its management. The cost of any consolidated operation shall be allocated to the various utilities upon some reasonable basis which is open to investigation, comment, or protest by members of the public. Such allocation methodologies shall be determined by the board of directors and shall provide for the allocation of costs and expenses in a manner that accurately reflects the actual cost of service for each utility under the management of the board, except that for purposes of this section, the collection of sewer use fees for cities of the metropolitan class shall not be considered as a utility. The district shall have separate power to provide for the cost of operation, maintenance, depreciation, extension, construction, and improvement of any utility under its management, applying thereto standard accounting principles.

(3) A metropolitan utilities district shall not discount its water rates or connection fees to any customer in order to obtain an agreement to provide natural gas service to any customer.

(4) A metropolitan utilities district shall not delay or condition in any manner the installation of water service or other agreements related to water service to the purchase of natural gas service from the district.

(5) The Auditor of Public Accounts shall have the authority to initiate an audit or to take any action necessary to ensure compliance with this section.

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Annotations

Power to convey property of metropolitan water district has been transferred to the metropolitan utilities district. Lynch v. Metropolitan Utilities Dist., 192 Neb. 17, 218 N.W.2d 546 (1974).