Resident presses town on financing, hookups and reimbursement for 3,000-foot water-line extension

A town resident asked the council what would make a roughly 3,000-foot water-line extension financially viable, saying they were the only homeowner immediately served and asking how many hookups or what revenue return would be needed so they would not bear the entire cost.

"I was just wondering how many houses hookups or revenue return needs to be in order to have a water line put there without me paying for the entire thing out of pocket," the resident said. Town staff said Superintendent Paul had estimated the extension at about 3,000 feet and that the roundabout cost discussed previously was "30 to 40,000," noting that geology (rock) could raise costs further.

Staff and council members explained the legal and practical framework: if the town installs a water line it becomes town property, so any private reimbursement or credit arrangement must be documented in writing and decided at a public meeting. One staff member suggested short-term agreements that refund a portion of hookup fees to the upfront payer for a fixed window (for example, 10–15 years) so the resident could recoup costs as new properties connect.

Cost figures discussed in the meeting included a rough $30,000–$40,000 estimate for the 3,000-foot extension (the discussion equated that to about $10 per foot), a new-meter hookup fee of $1,500, a customer deposit of $100 and an additional fee referenced in the discussion as $550. Staff said those numbers and any reimbursement arrangement would be part of a negotiated, written agreement returned to the council for approval.

Council members encouraged the resident to gather written commitments from neighboring property owners willing to pay hookup fees and asked to revisit the item with Superintendent Paul present to provide final engineering and cost estimates.