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Council limits leak adjustments to one month and opens review on separate meters for multiunit buildings
Summary
The council approved leak-adjustment payouts with a one-month limit for the questioned apartment unit and debated whether to require separate water meters for multiunit buildings, directing staff to consult building owners and gather more information.
The Kirkland Town Council approved a motion that allows leak adjustments for customers but limited the town's payout to one month for the named apartment leak case. The motion passed after discussion of notification, door-hanger procedures and whether the maintenance vendor had repaired the leak on multiple occasions.
Councilors then engaged in an extended debate over how the town should treat multiunit buildings on a single water meter. Several councilors and residents argued that separate meters would be fairer because they prevent one tenant's overuse or nonpayment from affecting others; others warned that retrofitting older buildings could be expensive and might require plumbing changes, potentially triggering disputes or litigation. Public works staff said meter setters were installed during a 2019 water project for units that requested them but that some landlords did not follow through to split meters or billing.
Next steps: Council asked staff (Jay / speaker 2) to contact building owners to gather input and return with options (cost estimates, ordinance language, and a proposed approach) before pursuing any ordinance changes. The leak-adjustment payout limitation was implemented immediately as the council's near-term policy for the cases under review.
