Board establishes sewer extension reimbursement district for Northwest 100th and 11th Court at McDaniel Road

The Washington County Board of Commissioners, sitting as the Clean Water Services Board, voted unanimously Oct. 21 to form the Northwest 100th and 11th Court at McDaniel Road Sewer Extension Reimbursement District and proceed with project No. 7298.

Steve Choate, project manager for Clean Water Services, told the board the district will finance construction of approximately 400 linear feet of 8-inch gravity sewer main, three manholes and three laterals to serve three benefiting properties in the Cedar Mill/Cedar Hill community plan area. Choate said one of the three properties currently has a failing septic system, creating urgency for the project.

Choate explained the district uses a methodology to allocate costs in cases where some properties are already served through atypical backyard connections. The total estimated project cost is about $187,000. The presentation broke the cost into an off-site portion estimated at $92,565, an "extraordinary circumstance area" cost of $59,022, and a qualifying project cost estimated at $35,413. Clean Water Services proposes a reimbursement charge of $11,804 per qualifying property; an early-connection incentive of $947 would reduce the net early connection cost to $10,858 if owners connect within the first year.

Choate said financing is available for reimbursement charges and certain private plumbing costs if property owners connect within the first year; there is no requirement to connect within the district after formation. He said the interest rate used for financing is based on the Oregon bond index (AA/AA+ rating).

Dale Ficke, who testified during the public hearing, urged the board to move off septic systems where feasible for public health reasons and said he supports the district.

After closing the public hearing, the board moved to adopt the resolution in order to form the reimbursement district and proceed with the project. The motion carried 5-0.