Council hears plan to tie sewer system development charges to meter size, not line size

Town staff told the council on June 16 they are preparing to change how sewer system development charges are calculated, moving from a line‑size basis to a meter‑size (gallons‑per‑minute) basis in order to match charges to actual flow capacity.

Sue (planning staff) explained the proposal: the previous use of line‑size produced inaccuracies because the town standard minimum line size is 1 inch even where meters are 5/8‑inch; meters carry defined GPM ratings that better represent flow into the system. “We were changing from line size to meter size,” Sue said, and staff will set the base charge by meter capacity and include well customers by their pump GPM. Tim Kubiak and staff reported they are working on finalizing gallons‑per‑minute thresholds and drafting ordinance language for council review.

Council members asked for clarity on whether the change would apply to new homes only; staff said the adjustment addresses system development charges for new homes and new connections. The Utility Board’s favorable recommendation was noted and staff said they expect the item to return for a hearing when the language is complete.

Next steps: staff and engineering will finalize GPM thresholds and base charges, provide ordinance language for legal review, and return to the council for a hearing and potential adoption.