Beaver City Council debates utility-connection rules for accessory dwellings, asks staff to draft ordinance language

Beaver City Council spent substantial time April 15 discussing utility-connection requirements for accessory or secondary dwellings and whether the city should require separate meters and charge full fees or offer discounted/prorated rates.

Staff explained the ordinance as written requires separate connections for each dwelling unit and noted enforcement and equity issues. Councilors debated retroactivity — whether existing homes could be required to convert — and agreed retroactive enforcement is unlikely. The discussion focused on two options: require separate service connections and charge full fees (protecting city infrastructure and avoiding long‑term subsidy to taxpayers), or allow some discounted structure for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to encourage housing supply while managing fiscal exposure.

Speakers emphasized the need for a data‑driven approach. "We should find some way to come up with a calculation rather than just an arbitrary guess," the chair said, urging staff to gather usage data and benchmarks from comparable cities. Staff agreed to research ERU (equivalent residential unit) approaches, look at five‑year averages where possible, and return with proposed ordinance verbiage and specific fee calculations.

No ordinance amendment or vote was taken; the council signaled interest in a compromise fee schedule rather than abrupt removal of existing protections. Staff was directed to prepare draft language, gather usage and comparative data (including from other municipalities), and present a concrete proposal for future consideration.