Lebanon committee moves to draft ordinance allowing resident 'deduct' meters to lower sewer charges

A Lebanon city committee agreed June 2 to have staff draft an ordinance permitting approved deduct meters that would allow residents to reduce sewer charges for water that does not enter the sanitary system.

Committee members described a program where a resident‑owned hose‑bib meter would be approved by the water department, registered with the city (a small example fee of $5 was discussed), and read once a year—proposed on or before Oct. 15—to compute a one‑time sewer bill adjustment. The committee asked staff to prepare draft ordinance language and model specifications before the next meeting.

Discussion focused on several operational details the draft must resolve: which meter models to allow (members favored limiting options so meters are compatible with local water pressure and city meter stock), whether the city should purchase and sell meters or leave purchase to residents, backflow prevention requirements, and safeguards against fraudulent submissions (the committee debated whether to accept emailed photos and noted concerns about timestamp reliability). Staff said some towns accept photos but that timestamps and verification procedures will need definition in the ordinance.

Committee members also recommended that the proposed program include a single annual reconciliation and clear guidance on documentation, and they instructed staff to circulate a draft ordinance for review before the council packet is finalized. No formal vote to adopt the ordinance occurred at the meeting; the action taken was to request a draft be prepared.