Mason County commissioners voted Nov. 25 to enter a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City of Bremerton to study the feasibility of extending sanitary sewer service into a portion of the Puget Sound Industrial Center.

Loretta Swanson, Mason County Public Works utilities manager, told commissioners the draft MOU requires “a preliminary engineering and financial evaluation that quantifies capital, financial, and operational impacts for both parties,” and staff added timing language: completing the evaluation within 180 days of executing the MOU and giving Mason County up to 90 days after the study to determine and notify Bremerton whether providing service is in the county’s interest. Swanson said Bremerton has expressed reservations about using a commerce grant to pay for evaluation work.

The MOU drew public comment and debate at the dais. Rick Anderson, a developer from Lakeland Village, asked whether new sewer access would be limited to particular developments and pressed who would pay for extensions. Ned Lieber, Bremerton’s city engineer, said the commerce grant commonly funds design work, not the initial evaluation, and explained that an interlocal agreement (ILA) and further commitments would follow the feasibility work.

One commissioner who opposed the project on policy grounds nonetheless said he would support entering the MOU so the proposed feasibility study—paid for by the grant or Bremerton rather than the county—could answer open questions. That commissioner summarized county concerns about current licensed capacities in Belfair, rate structure, and the prospect that county taxpayers would bear expansion costs without offsetting contributions.

After discussion and a brief, unsuccessful attempt to add alternative language about using utility funds, the commission approved the motion to enter the MOU. The motion passed on voice vote and staff were instructed to return with the study results and subsequent options, if any.

What happens next: the MOU’s 180-day and 90-day timeframes start once the MOU is signed; the county will receive and review the feasibility analysis before making any pledge to provide service or to enter a formal interlocal agreement with Bremerton.