Commissioners Decide To Slow Planned Increase In Sewer Connection Fees

Utilities

After hearing three hours of testimony Tuesday, county commissioners decided that the increase in sewer connection fees should be slowed, even scaled back, for those already in the middle of the process.

The county utilities department is proposing the steepest connection fee increase in years to make up for past inflation and pay for new trunk lines and pumping stations.

The proposal by the county utilities department would increase the cost of connection for a single-family home from $555 to $1,075.

If the increase is not granted, Utilities Director Bruce Rawls said the county would have a hard time paying the debt service needed for the projects.

But residents and business owners said the increase was coming too quickly and was unfair.

Among those who testified were the owners of the 124-unit Village Square Apartments behind the Tidyman’s store under construction on Argonne. Neighborhood property owners have agreed to construct their own sewer line in the area, then run it to the county’s main trunk.

But winter weather stopped construction and connection won’t occur until spring. Manager Gerry Hagood said the budget for the project was drawn up a year ago based on current fees. The new charges would increase connection costs for the apartment complex from $55,056 to $116,000.

In an effort to pay the fee under current rents, the apartment project and Tidyman’s sent checks to the county, but they were returned.

“We don’t have that money set aside,” said Hagood. “You’ve got me in a real box.”

Joe Ward, a developer involved in the Tidyman’s project, added that there is no policy precluding prepayment of the connection charges, except one recently adopted by county staff.

“There’s a lot of confusion here, I believe the county utilites department has made it their own policy and couldn’t care less about county commissioners,” Ward said.

Rawls, however, said the issue never came up before.

“It’s interesting, no one was ever knocking on our door wanting to give us (a connection fee) until two weeks ago.”

The proposed fee increase would cost the 288 residents of Millwood still not on sewer $149,706, and people in Northwood would have to pay an extra $156,000.

Commissioners Steve Hasson, Phil Harris and John Roskelley decided to phase the increase in over two years, instead of one, and come up with a plan to allow those in the process of connection to pay at 1995 rates.

No motion was passed in order to give staff a week to determine exactly which neighborhoods pay the old charge and which the new.

, DataTimes MEMO: Changed in the North Side Voice