After public hearings, Clallam County adopts sewer-fee ordinances; mobile-home and RV park owners warn of hardship

Clallam County commissioners on April 14 adopted two linked ordinances that consolidate sewer fees into a single county fee schedule and remove fee language from the Clallam Bay/CQ sewer code. Both measures were approved after a staff presentation explaining a multi-year, phased user-fee increase intended to close an operation-and-maintenance shortfall.

Public works staff member Ron (speaker 22) told the board the committee recommended a phased increase to cover O&M costs: 12% in the first year, 9.9% in the second year and then 3% annually thereafter. He said that, based on current assumptions, the system would reach breakeven by year two and that the county had secured grant funding for major capital projects including $4.7 million already completed and more than $10 million for upcoming conveyance and pump-station improvements.

Mobile-home and RV park owners and managers described sharp bill increases after the county moved from a single-flat fee for some properties to an ERU (equivalent-residential-unit) accounting system. Clara Ling (speaker 24), who said she owns a 13-unit mobile-home park, said the change converted a single $56-per-month charge to multiple ERUs and monthly excess charges that forced owners to pass costs to tenants. "It is obviously low income," she said, and asked the county to consider a different allowance or cap for parks.

Other commenters, including Ryan Tucker (speaker 25) and David (speaker 20), described monthly bills in the hundreds or thousands and urged the county to pursue additional grants and to reconsider how commercial and mobile-home properties are credited for usage allowances. Staff acknowledged the committee had discussed those impacts and estimated that increasing the commercial allowance from 700 to 1,000 cubic feet would reduce revenue by roughly $24,000 annually — equivalent to about $3.15 per ERU per month across the system.

Commissioners debated trade-offs between easing the burden on business owners and maintaining revenue needed for operations. After public comment and discussion, the board approved the consolidated fee schedule ordinance and the code amendment removing fees from chapter 13.04; both passed by voice vote.

Votes at a glance: - Ordinance amending Clallam County Code chapter 5.1 to add the Clallam Bay/CQ sewer fee schedule (600–A): adopted by voice vote. - Ordinance amending Clallam County Code chapter 13.04 (Clallam Bay/CQ sewer system) to remove fee language and refer to the consolidated fee schedule: adopted by voice vote.

Next steps: Staff will continue to pursue grant funding for capital projects and to monitor the rate structure; commissioners indicated they may revisit the ERU design or allowances in future ordinance updates and encouraged affected business owners to participate on the sewer-advisory committee.