Town discusses new ERU-based water/sewer connection fee formula; no vote taken

Emmitsburg commissioners discussed Ordinance 25-04 on March 3, a proposal to change how water and sewer connection fees are calculated using equivalent residential units (ERUs). The item was presented as a discussion; no adoption vote was taken.

Speaker 3 said the ordinance appeared well written overall but requested clearer presentation: alphabetize the business-type chart and confirm whether the one-year reevaluation clause applies only to businesses not on the list. The town manager said the intention is that the one-year review applies to items not specifically listed and that staff can provide an updated, alphabetized chart.

Commissioners asked staff to add recently completed or in-progress establishments to the reference list — specifically naming Federal Stone and Rudder's — and to confirm the treatment of a distillery that had not yet been evaluated. The town manager noted a prior budget-comparison exercise presented at the previous meeting and said engineers’ estimates moved some fees higher and others lower, but the goal is a system that more closely reflects actual usage.

Staff outlined that the new calculation should make charges more accurate by matching estimated water/sewer usage to facility types and that the town would re-evaluate usage after the first year for unspecified businesses. Commissioners requested additional fiscal detail before any final decision, including projected tap fee revenue tied to anticipated development (Brookfield, Emmett Ridge) and the water fund implications.

Provenance: Discussion introduced at SEG 887; discussion concluded by SEG 1020.