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Council adopts new sewer and water connection policy for sphere of influence and out-of-boundary requests with committee recommendation change
Summary
The council adopted an updated sewer and water connection policy governing requests from properties in the county sphere of influence and out-of-boundary service requests; the resolution was amended so the infrastructure committee recommends issuance of will‑serve letters rather than issuing them directly.
The Chino City Council on July 3 approved a consolidated policy for evaluating requests to extend sewer and water services beyond city limits, covering properties inside the county sphere of influence and out‑of‑boundary service agreements with neighboring jurisdictions.
Public Works staff described the policy as a formal framework for case‑by‑case review of connection requests. Key points include: - All sewer connection requests within the sphere of influence require council approval and an irrevocable agreement to annex for sewer service; staff will not automatically approve connections at the staff level. - Non‑sizable projects that meet general plan and zoning may receive an ability‑to‑serve letter administratively if infrastructure exists; sizable projects (residential projects >4 units or commercial projects >10,000 sq. ft.) require infrastructure committee review and may be required to annex or execute irrevocable agreements where annexation is infeasible. - Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are exempt from mandatory connection by state law, but applicants will be informed and encouraged to connect voluntarily; staff noted an ADU connection triggers an irrevocable agreement to annex executed by the property owner covering the whole parcel. - For out‑of‑boundary service requests (properties in neighboring cities), council approval and an out‑of‑boundary service agreement are required; the city will consider these extraordinary measures only when no feasible alternative exists and when technical feasibility and economic impacts on the city are addressed.
Council amended the draft resolution language so that the infrastructure committee will recommend to the council whether to authorize issuance of an ability‑to‑serve (will‑serve) letter rather than having the committee itself issue the letter. Staff said the edit would reduce potential conflicts between committee and council decisions.
Council approved the updated sewer and water connection policy by a 4–0 vote (one member absent). Staff said the policy centralizes criteria used in prior practice and provides a more predictable, documented review path for future requests.
