Bloomington board moves to seek PSC approval for $1,000 water connection fee, agrees to utility ordinance changes

The Village Board of Bloomington voted Aug. 4 to apply to the state Public Service Commission for approval to charge a $1,000 water system connection fee and approved a set of technical revisions to local utilities ordinances.

On a motion by Alan Mergen, seconded by Dennis Moris, the board approved the PSC application unanimously. The motion followed discussion of a previously disallowed $500 connection fee; the transcript notes one resident had been refunded for that charge after the commission found it had not been properly approved.

Board members and consultants reviewed several ordinance details raised by Logan Hoffman of Delta 3. The board agreed to combine sections 1102 and 1106, to clarify that ownership of water service transfers at the curb stop rather than the curb, and to set sewer lateral ownership generally to the right-of-way unless the sewer main lies outside the right-of-way. The board also agreed to retain user charges by classification rather than converting to residential equivalent units and to continue allowing garbage disposals and household drains, while noting that grease issues more commonly originate with businesses.

The board adopted a new penalty structure for illegal use of the sewage system: a $10-per-day charge (noted in the meeting as equivalent to $3,650 per year) rather than the previous tiered monthly schedule. The board requested that all water and sewer rates — including direct fire-protection charges, quarterly public fire charges, and service schedules — be posted on the village website so residents can review upcoming third-quarter changes.

The motion to pursue the $1,000 connection fee was recorded as unanimous. The meeting record does not include the PSC filing itself or an effective date; the board must obtain PSC approval before collecting the new fee.