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Centralia workshop maps annexation options; staff flags police shortfall and sewers as major costs
Summary
City staff reviewed a 14-area annexation analysis and told the City Council the main question is whether the city can afford and staff services for new areas. Police staffing, sewer connection costs for homeowners, and utility revenue shifts were highlighted as key factors.
City staff presented a workshop Feb. 11 on options for annexing parts of Centralia’s urban growth area under a 2020 state law that allows annexation by interlocal agreement, and asked the City Council for direction on which areas to pursue.
The discussion centered on whether the city has the physical and financial capacity to provide required services to areas under consideration. Staff said police service levels, sewer extension costs, street maintenance responsibility and utility revenue shifts will drive the city’s near-term decisions.
Staff told council the city currently has 29 sworn officers, a present staffing ratio of about 1.57 officers per 1,000 residents and that the 2018 comprehensive plan assumed 33 officers. The presenter said annexing all 14 studied areas would add the equivalent of roughly 4.82 officers; select-area annexations would add fewer officers. “This is big because … police is probably one of the biggest areas,” Staff member (annexation presenter) said. Chief Andy Caldwell was present to answer policing questions.
Utilities and sewer connection costs drew repeated attention. Utilities staff noted most outside-city services are water and that a household that is later required to hook to city sewer could face several fees: recent latecomer fees have ranged from about $1,800 to $13,000; the city’s capital facility fee was stated as about $9,100; and plumbing and hookup costs vary. “They’re looking at $2,000–$25,000 to connect the sewer,” Utilities staff said, adding that combined capital and installation costs can be burdensome for existing homeowners.
Staff also explained municipal code 15.10.100 requires properties within 200 feet of a sewer line to connect after the city’s administrative notice, with a 60-day compliance window. The presenter said the city once offered a city-financed deferred-payment option with liens for connection costs but that program had been used only briefly.
City parks standards adopted earlier this year were discussed: the parks plan uses a goal of 14.5 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, and staff said annexation affects where parks and trails would be planned and built. Street maintenance was flagged as a general-fund cost: when rights-of-way are annexed the city must assume full maintenance responsibility for the entire road, not a segmented piece of road.
Staff walked council through 14 mapped subareas and highlighted examples: Fords Prairie A and B as infill and near planned sewer; North Harrison as a longer-term, higher-cost area; area 10A near the Port of Centralia noted for potential industrial development (staff cited a proposed ~600,000-square-foot distribution/manufacturing facility in that vicinity); and the Centralia Woods / South Summa area near recent subdivisions where sewer extensions are likely to spur development.
Staff asked council to give general direction rather than final decisions and to approve notifying Lewis County before the county finalizes its comprehensive plan, so the city and county planning processes align. The presenter said staff will post maps on the city website and seek a future workshop to let councilors review selections in more detail.
Councilors pressed for clarity on the two annexation “columns” staff used (annex all 14 areas versus selected areas) and on the budget implications of adding between roughly one and five officers depending on the annexation choice. Staff said some areas were eliminated from consideration because they lack sewer access or developable potential; others are linked and must be annexed together (for example, some subdivisions that would create an enclave if annexed separately).
Next steps: staff will post the annexation analysis and maps to the city website, coordinate a follow-up workshop, and notify Lewis County of the city’s interim direction so county and city planning can proceed on compatible timelines.
(Ending) Council gave no final vote at the workshop; staff asked for direction and a date for a follow-up meeting to let councilors weigh individual subareas in more detail.
