Resident urges council to reconsider rule requiring separate meters for new accessory buildings

A Marysville resident asked the council to reconsider a current city practice that requires separate water meters for some new accessory buildings, saying the policy could discourage small-scale construction and impose what he described as an avoidable recurring charge.

At the meeting Matt Seagram said he and his wife plan to build a shop on their property and were told under current city codes that the shop would require its own meter rather than sharing the house meter. "As it stands, I would probably be looking at close to a $200 bill every month without using hardly any more water," Seagram said. He asked the council to consider handling these requests on a case-by-case basis or to require meter separation only when properties are sold.

Councilmembers discussed the history of privately installed mystery water lines on older properties and agreed the water and sewer committee should take up the topic. Councilmember comments noted some properties historically have shared service lines that do not appear in city maps and that new construction provides clearer mapping for future utility tracking.

Action/direction

Council directed staff to place the meter-sizing/separation question on the next water and sewer committee agenda for further review and potential policy recommendations. No ordinance or binding change was adopted at the meeting.

Why it matters

If the city requires separate meters and associated minimum monthly charges for accessory buildings, small property owners might face substantially higher recurring utility costs even if water usage is minimal. The council's referral to the water and sewer committee begins a formal staff-and-committee review of whether exceptions or alternative approaches are appropriate.

Speakers

- Matt Seagram — resident and public commenter (spoke in public comment) - Councilmember (unnamed) — referred the matter to the water and sewer committee - City staff (unnamed) — provided context on meter sizing and billing (noted typical residential sizes)

Clarifying details

- Example cost cited by commenter: "close to a $200 bill every month" and specifically two meters would cost "$122.06 a month before having used a single drop of water" as stated in the comment. - Staff noted common residential meter sizes recommended are 5/8 inch or 3/4 inch and that larger sizes are sometimes installed for historical reasons. Downsizing costs are borne by the property owner.

Provenance

- Topic intro: block-221.97499 excerpt "I'm Matt Seagram... it was always my plan to have it trenched in from our home... I was told this is no longer allowed under the current city codes and that a new building like mine would need its own separate meter." (topicintro) - Topic finish: block-611.335 excerpt "Put it to the committee." (topfinish)