Lincoln Park council raises residential water service installation fees; council cites higher contractor costs

The Lincoln Park City Council voted Aug. 5 to update the Department of Public Services fee schedule for residential water service installations. City staff said the fee schedule had not been updated since 2016 and that rising costs — including contractor rates driven by the pandemic — required higher charges for service taps and re‑installs.

Staff gave examples of the new fees as presented in the packet: a 1‑inch service tap on the short side would increase to $3,850; a 1‑inch on the long side would be $7,150. An inch‑and‑a‑half short side would be $4,100 and an inch‑and‑a‑half long side $7,300, while a 2‑inch short side was listed at $4,502 and a 2‑inch long side at $7,600 in the staff summary sheet.

The staff presentation said costs rose because external contractors now charge significantly more to install or replace services — for example, replacing lead services can cost approximately $6,500 to an outside contractor, whereas the city previously completed some work more cheaply in earlier years.

Council members asked staff to clarify technical terms used in the fee schedule; staff explained that “short side” and “long side” refer to the relative distance from the water main to a property connection and associated material and boring costs. The clerk read the fee table aloud during the meeting so members could record the specific dollar amounts.

Council approved the fee updates by unanimous roll call.

Why it matters: higher installation fees will increase costs for homeowners and developers who require new or reinstalled residential water services. Staff said the updates reflect actual contractor and material costs rather than creating a new revenue source.

Ending: City staff said the fee schedule will be used for billing new installations going forward; specific implementation and any waiver processes were not changed during the meeting.