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Committee of the Whole recommends amendment to Danbury City sewer connection fees after clarifying unit charges
Summary
At a Danbury City Committee of the Whole meeting councilors recommended changes to ordinance section 48-168 (sewer connection fees). Discussion focused on how charges apply to multiunit buildings and special zones (CCBD and DROZ); the motion carried with one recorded opposed.
Danbury City’s Committee of the Whole recommended changes to sewer connection fees in ordinance section 48-168 after councilors pressed staff for clarification on how the fees apply to multiunit buildings and to special zoning districts.
"I move to recommend to the city council the adoption of the ordinance changes made within section 48-168 of the code of ordinances regarding sewer connection permits required, connection fee, refunds, penalty for violations," Councilman Frank Salvatore said when he introduced the motion, which was seconded by Councilman Ben Chines.
Councilman Duane Perkins asked staff to confirm the updated fee numbers for the Downtown Revitalization Overlay Zone (DROZ) and related administrative charges, reading several figures from the proposal. He addressed his questions to David Day, the city director who responded that the package amounts to roughly "a 10% increase from the, from last year's." (David Day represented the administration during the discussion.)
Councilman Emil Bizaid sought a clearer rule for multiunit housing: whether a 30-unit apartment building would be charged a fee per unit or a single building-level connection fee. David Day said that outside special zones the city generally charges one connection per building (one meter), and that the CCBD and DROZ include specific reductions that are spelled out in the ordinance.
Councilman Paul Rotello underscored that the changes would not be applied retroactively to existing homeowners. "This is not retroactive," he said, and David Day confirmed the revisions apply to new construction and new connections.
After brief discussion the committee voted. The chair recorded one opposed and stated, "the ayes have it," advancing the recommended amendment to the full city council for final consideration.
The committee’s action changes the governing language on permits, connection fees, refunds and penalties in section 48-168; the ordinance text also preserves reduced connection charges for properties inside the CCBD and DROZ districts. The committee did not specify an effective date during the meeting; staff indicated the changes apply to new connections only.
Next step: the committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Danbury City Council for formal adoption and any further amendment.
