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Poulsbo residents urge city to limit out‑of‑pocket costs for Eleventh Avenue sewer hookups; staff to survey and seek legal clarity
Summary
Seven Eleventh Avenue households asked the Poulsbo City Council on Oct. 1 to cover the cost of running a sewer main up their street. Public works said the city will survey the site and ask the city attorney to clarify how costs must be allocated under state law and the Poulsbo municipal code; no formal cost relief was approved.
Leanne Troyer, a resident who said she represents neighbors on Eleventh Avenue, told the Poulsbo City Council on Oct. 1 that residents have paid sewer penalties for years without being able to connect and asked the city to cover the cost of running sewer lines up their street.
Public Works Director Diane Linnaeus told the council the project affects seven residences and the city has not completed design work or a formal cost estimate. She said the state code (RCW) determines the connection fee — which she said is about $17,000 and covers county treatment costs and city system charges — and Poulsbo Municipal Code requires a front‑footage fee. But the code language is inconsistent about whether the property owners’ share should be 50% of the project or 50% of another metric, so the city attorney must interpret it.
Linnaeus described two financing options the council has discussed: the city can build the main and charge property owners when they hook up, or create a local improvement district (ULID) to assess owners over 20 years. She warned that ULID setup costs can be high for a very small group of seven properties. Linnaeus also said the city recommended building the main now and allowing owners to defer payment until they connect because an on‑site septic system has already failed for one household and more failures are likely.
City Administrator Rob Gelder and Linnaeus said survey work and a preliminary design are planned; Charlie Roberts is the city project lead and the primary public contact. Linnaeus said the city has asked the attorney to review code and cost allocation so staff can return with firmer numbers.
No council motion or vote was taken on cost relief at the Oct. 1 meeting. Councilmembers encouraged the residents to meet staff after the meeting and requested staff return with a survey, preliminary design and legal guidance.
Next steps: staff will conduct a survey and preliminary design, the city attorney will be asked to interpret the municipal code provision on the 50% front‑footage fee and state statutes on connection fees, and staff will report back to council with estimated owner assessments and financing options.
