Council to send Tacoma sewer/water assessment notices as debate over caps continues; public water‑supply study meeting set

The Pewaukee Common Council authorized staff to send assessment notices for the Tacoma sewer and water project using water alternative 5 and sewer alternative 6 after a detailed staff presentation and extended council discussion about assessment caps, fairness and policy precedents.

City staff presented assessment averages and options: the department reported that recent water main assessments averaged about $14,357.62 per unit and sewer main assessments about $19,749.23 per unit, with a combined typical single‑family assessment near $51,000 (excluding certain projects that would raise averages above $70,000). Staff said these figures exclude RCA (oversizing) charges and other utility costs charged at the time of connection. For the Tacoma project specifically, staff estimated the three commercial properties would face roughly $100,000 total in sewer and water assessments under the recommended alternatives and the single family residence would face only a water assessment of roughly $39,000 under the same alternatives.

Council members debated options including caps on residential assessments, whether to treat commercial property differently, and how precedential any exception would be. Councilors and staff repeatedly emphasized the need for an approach that would be defensible if legally challenged; one council member said any deviation should be consistent and equitable across similar situations. Staff recommended sending the notices consistent with the selected alternatives and returning a final resolution and final assessment detail at the subsequent meeting.

"If you did include those, it bumps up your average cost for a single family home to just over $70,000," staff said when discussing how including other pending projects affects averages. Staff noted state statute sets notice windows (described in the meeting as 10 to 40 days) and said the city planned to provide roughly three weeks’ notice to affected property owners so they can review materials before the council’s next meeting.

Councilors asked about timing, payment schedules, and mandatory hookup rules. Staff said the current city approach allows deferred hookup for a period (the city has used a ten‑year payment period and connection at time of sale in some recent projects) and that specific payment and hookup terms would be included in the final resolution if the project proceeds. Staff also said the low contractor bids for related public works work were favorable and that one bidder had agreed to a 30‑day extension of bid acceptance while the council finalizes direction.

In a separate information item, staff announced a public information meeting on the city’s water supply master planning effort on April 30 (public meeting at 5:30 p.m.; presentation at 6:00 p.m.). The study, performed to satisfy the cited regulation referenced in the meeting as "NR 8 54," will examine options from additional deep and shallow wells to treatment upgrades, surface‑water sources such as Pewaukee Lake or the Fox River, quarry water, and even larger regional options. Staff described this as a required planning step and said a public hearing will be required again once the study is complete.

The council voted to have staff proceed with sending notices for the selected assessment alternatives; staff also committed to at least a 14‑day minimum notice policy for future assess­ments and to include payment and hookup terms in the final resolution. The council did not adopt a permanent cap during the meeting; members asked staff to return with further options and legal analysis at a subsequent meeting.

Votes at a glance from the meeting (other items): - Consent agenda (minutes and council table): approved by voice vote. - Reapproval of certified survey map (W233 N20 area): reapproved to permit recording with the county per state statute (no changes); motion carried by voice vote. - Release of Woodleaf Reserve Phase 5 letter of credit ($50,000): approved; city staff confirmed warranty period complete and minor remaining restoration items required.

Next steps: staff will send assessment notices for Tacoma using sewer alternative 6 and water alternative 5 (with approximately three weeks’ notice), prepare the final resolution with payment instructions and hookup requirements, and present further policy options and legal analysis on assessment caps at a later meeting. The public information meeting on the water‑supply study is scheduled for April 30.