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Lewiston staff to finalize phased increases for water/wastewater hookup equity buy-ins
Summary
Public Works Director Dustin Johnson told the Lewiston City Council that the city has been phasing in higher equity buy-in (hookup) fees since a 2021 study and will return in July with a resolution to adopt a final year of increases unless council objects.
Lewiston City Council members heard detailed background May 30 from Public Works Director Dustin Johnson on the city’s plan to finish phasing in higher equity buy‑in (hookup) fees for water and wastewater connections.
Johnson told the council that the buy‑in charge is a one‑time fee assessed at connection to recover a share of the system’s historical capital value. He said the city used a consultant study completed in 2021 to phase the fee from about $4,440 per full hookup at that time toward a target of roughly $8,314 for customers who take all city services.
The buy‑in is charged “at connection,” Johnson said, and the fee varies by which combination of services a new customer uses (water, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment). Johnson described the charge as a mechanism “for cost recovery” that shifts some of the legacy system cost to new users instead of placing the entire burden on long‑standing ratepayers.
Why it matters: equity buy‑ins are intended to keep new development from receiving a free ride on infrastructure paid for by existing customers. Johnson said Lewiston’s phased approach mirrors practice in other Idaho cities and that, if the council adopts the final phase, the city would be roughly in line with similar municipalities.
Details and next steps: Johnson said the FCS study from 2021 recommended a five‑year phase‑in and that the council adopted incremental increases over the past years. He said the last year of the phase‑in is before the council now and that staff will bring a resolution to a regular council meeting in July to adopt the fee schedule unless the council directs otherwise. “If that’s something you guys are in support of for one more year, we’ll bring this back as part of an adopted fee, and do the resolution,” Johnson told the council.
Council discussion touched on timing (developers generally pay the fee when a lot is connected, and the cost is frequently baked into the lot price), applicability to recent connections in outlying areas, meter sizing for larger developments and how municipal definitions (water vs. wastewater collection vs. treatment) affect which components are charged.
Ending: Director Johnson asked for feedback before the formal public hearing in July; absent direction to stop, staff will proceed with a resolution to finalize the last year of the phased increases.
