Bend panel approves four septic-to-sewer projects, prioritizing highest-ranked applications

A City of Bend selection committee voted to fund four neighborhood sewer-extension projects under the city—s Neighborhood Extension Program, selecting the staff-recommended Option A at its Oct. 27 meeting.

The committee approved the Airpark Drive, Denning Drive, Waco Drive and Juniper Haven applications as this round—s projects. Staff said the program will use the city—s roughly $3.5 million annual budget and internal design capacity to deliver the work.

The Neighborhood Extension Program (septic-to-sewer) lets homeowners petition to convert private on-site septic systems to the city—s sewer system. Jason Surr, principal engineer for the City of Bend, told the panel the program was created from objectives in the city—s 2014 collection system master plan and that the committee—s role is to select projects for the next round of construction.

Why it matters: The committee—s decision prioritizes applications that scored highest in the city—s established five-criteria scoring system. Staff said the approach addresses the projects with the largest shares of failing systems this cycle while staying within the city—s near-term delivery capacity.

Staff presentation and scoring

Teresa Finley, program manager for the septic-to-sewer conversion program, explained the application process: a resident or homeowner organizes the neighborhood petition, holds neighborhood meetings and submits an application that staff scores. The five scoring criteria are: adjusted cost per property (including design and construction), number of benefited properties, proximity to planned capital improvement projects, percent…