Board raises some FY26 tap, meter and sewer clean‑out fees citing material and labor cost increases

The Resources Board voted July 22 to update several FY26 water tap, meter and sewer clean‑out connection fees after staff reported rising material and labor costs since 2021.

Staff told the board that some tap and meter charges are set in city code (the 1‑inch meter and sewer clean‑out installation) while other sizes such as the 2‑inch are not codified because materials vary. Staff said the city’s current 1‑inch stub price is $675 and the current meter‑installation price is $540; the presented revision increases the meter installation line item by roughly $400 to reflect higher material costs. Staff said they have not adjusted these fees since 2021 and that the proposed prices reflect labor and materials with a 29 percent overhead applied to labor.

Board members asked which sizes see the most volume and how the city’s prices compared with nearby consolidated utility districts; staff said 1‑inch taps are by far the most common and that the 2‑inch price is now closer to neighboring utility pricing. Staff also explained how billing works when developers pay tap fees in advance: if a different size is installed later, builders pay the difference at installation.

A board member moved to approve the proposed fee revisions and another member seconded; the board voted in favor. Staff said the revisions are intended to bring fees in line with true installation cost and avoid subsidizing these connections from other funds.

The board did not change the pricing model for larger commercial or gang‑vault installations, which staff said are priced separately on a per‑each basis.