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Council requires annexation for new water or sewer connections outside city limits; existing customers preserved
Summary
An ordinance was adopted that will require annexation into the city before new water or sewer service is provided outside city limits; current outside-city connections remain in place but cannot be expanded without annexation.
The council adopted Ordinance 25-09-05 on Sept. 2 to change rules for water and sewer service outside the city limits. Mallory Brown, community development director, told the council the revision removes the prior option allowing some sewer connections via pre-annexation agreements and instead requires annexation before new residential connections outside city limits will be authorized. Brown said several existing connections outside the corporate limits will remain grandfathered under the new rule but will not be eligible for expansion (for example, upsizing a line or a change to commercial use) absent annexation.
Council members asked whether the city is responsible for maintaining mains that lie outside city limits and whether the ordinance would limit the city's ability to extend utilities for municipal infrastructure; staff responded that many of the city's water and sewer assets, including tank and plant infrastructure, lie outside municipal boundaries and that the city would retain the ability to locate public utilities in public rights-of-way. A council member also asked whether maintenance obligations could contractually end at the city limit; staff indicated that because some mains serve city infrastructure, the city's maintenance obligations would generally remain.
The ordinance passed unanimously. Staff said the change intends to encourage orderly annexation and ensure the fiscal impacts of extending utilities are borne by properties that join the city.
