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Council reviews tap fees and agrees to extend sewer manhole to avoid street-cut cost for downtown business
Summary
Staff said residential taps are $300 and commercial $400; materials estimated roughly $5/foot for lateral extension. For a Main Street case the city will extend sewer and place a manhole to allow on-side connections so affected businesses avoid a street-cut fee.
Councilors discussed how the city charges for sewer connections and a proposed policy change to avoid unequal costs when properties must cross a street to reach a lateral.
City staff said the city’s residential sewer tap fee is $300 and the commercial tap is $400. Materials to extend sewer laterals ran about $5 per linear foot in the example presented; staff used a hypothetical 300-foot extension to show materials of roughly $1,500 plus tap fees and labor — roughly $1,900 before labor in the example.
Staff described a specific downtown Main Street situation where a property across the street lacked an on-side manhole; instead of charging the property owner a street-cut permit and associated costs, the city plans to extend the sewer laterally and install a manhole on the same side of the street so multiple businesses can connect without crossing the roadway. The plan is being submitted for permitting (ODOT/DEQ as applicable). Jared (city staff/engineer) explained that for new subdivisions the developer generally installs the main laterals and the city brings infrastructure to the edge of property, but older one-off lots sometimes require these extensions.
Councilors raised fairness concerns for properties on opposite sides of the street and whether the ordinance should be changed to ensure parity; staff said the difference often stems from whether the roadway is ODOT-controlled highway or a local street (which affects permit and street-cut requirements). The council directed staff to prepare necessary ordinance language and bring options back at a future meeting.
No formal ordinance change was passed on Nov. 12; the city proceeded with a planned city-funded lateral/manhole extension for the downtown site discussed.
