The Charleston Town Council voted June 5 to open renegotiation of a previously signed sewer agreement with Heber City after a legal briefing and extensive public comment questioning the contract’s financial risks.

At a detailed staff and counsel presentation, the town’s attorney described how the existing agreement contemplates connection fees and a per‑equivalent‑residence charge, and lays out how fees collected could be applied to operation, maintenance and the capital cost of upsizing Heber City’s system. The attorney said the agreement sets a connection charge of $698 per equivalent residential unit (ERU) as the currently described figure in the contract and outlined circumstances where Charleston could be required to make up a shortfall if fees and bond proceeds are insufficient.

Why it matters: Council members and many residents said they understood earlier proposals to mean commercial connections along Highway 189 would not expose the town to large, unconditional debt. Several commenters and board members said the contract language is unclear about Charleston’s ability to decline a bond or other financing that would shift costs to the town.

Council discussion focused on three issues the attorney flagged: whether collected connection fees will reliably fund future upsizing; whether Charleston can veto a proposed bond or be compelled to participate; and what would happen to users if Charleston withdrew after some connections had already been made. The attorney said the agreement includes notice and decision windows (90 days after notification) and that if construction has not started the town’s obligations are more limited; if construction is underway or completed, the town could face payment obligations under certain scenarios.

Action taken: The council voted to begin renegotiation and to hold a public hearing on the sewer question at the council’s rescheduled July meeting (noted by staff as July 2 or 7 at different points; staff to confirm). The council asked staff to solicit public input in advance, circulate the existing agreement to the public, and return with proposed redlines or a replacement draft. No termination of the current contract was approved at the June 5 meeting.

What council asked staff to do: distribute the executed agreement for public review, solicit resident comments and hold a public hearing at the next regular meeting; explore negotiation options (including termination and replacement) and provide recommended language clarifying Charleston’s financial exposure and approval rights for debt or upsize decisions.

The council also agreed to invite affected property owners and Heber City representatives to future sessions. A closed-session negotiation can follow the public hearing if the council chooses to pursue specific contract language or financial terms.