City finalizes East Ninth Street sewer reimbursement fee, creates 15-year district

The Dalles City Council on Dec. 16 adopted Resolution No. 24-034, finalizing fees for a reimbursement district created to recover construction costs for the East Ninth Street sanitary sewer main improvements.

Public Works Director Dave Anderson told the council the project’s final cost was $316,215.07 and that the proposed reimbursement fee for new connections within the district is $3,856.28 per new sewer unit, where one sewer unit equals a single-family residence. “The project total cost ended up being $316,215.07,” Anderson said. He explained the fee is $755.84 higher than the interim fee adopted in February 2023 largely because of extensive rock excavation.

Anderson said notices were mailed to affected owners (15 notices sent; 10 confirmed received) and that the district contains approximately 17 parcels with some duplicate ownership. He emphasized that properties that already had city sewer service would not be assessed; the fee applies only when a property connects as a new sewer unit. The district, if adopted, will exist for 15 years to allow the city to recover costs as parcels develop and connect.

No members of the public testified for or against the fee during the hearing. Councilor Long moved to adopt Resolution No. 24-034 and Councilor Runyon seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

Next steps: the reimbursement district and fee are now finalized and will be applied to properties that develop and request new sewer connections within the district during the 15-year term. The city will continue to collect connection SDCs in addition to the reimbursement fee.