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Council revises Main Street hookup allocation, cutting owner share roughly in half; county grant dollars to be applied
Summary
After public feedback, council and staff recalculated cost allocations for Main Street property owners facing water and sewer service-line replacements, reducing homeowner shares substantially and proposing a zero-interest 36-month payment option; county grant funds of $18,000 may further offset costs.
The council and city staff outlined a revised cost-allocation plan for Main Street property owners who must replace service water and/or sewer lines as part of a street improvement project. The recalculation reduces the property-owner portion to roughly half of the amounts initially proposed.
Staff explained the prior approach: a flat allocation for water replacement of $2,760 and $3,165 for sewer replacement, totaling $5,925 when both were needed. Under the revised allocation, the city interprets wastewater (sewer) as its responsibility to accept and move wastewater from the property’s connection to the city main, while the city is delivering potable water service from main to customer. As a result, the city will cover a larger share of water-line replacement: the city will pay about 75% of water-line costs and the property owner about 25%.
Practically, that change reduces a West-side owner’s combined cost from roughly $5,925 to about $3,013 if both lines must be replaced; East-side combined cost would be about $2,945. If only a sewer line is needed, the property-owner allocation would be about $2,308 (West) or $2,380 (East). Staff described a 36-month, interest-free payment option and estimated monthly payments in the range of roughly $64–$82 depending on the scope.
Staff said the county has agreed to allocate $18,000 in grant money for the project and the city asked for discretion in distributing that sum; those county funds applied equally across properties would further reduce each owner’s share by roughly $850. The county’s final allocation approach is pending the county’s guidance, and staff will invoice the county once the allocation is finalized.
Council and staff emphasized that billing will be delayed if a property owner notifies the city of intended litigation; the city intends not to accept payment while litigation is pending to protect both parties. Staff said no invoices will be sent until outstanding questions are resolved and owners are notified of final figures.
Council asked staff to consult the city attorney and proceed with updated written findings and billing procedures; staff indicated a two- to four-week timeframe for next steps.
