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Council introduces ordinance to remove fixed cross‑connection fees as state rules raise testing costs
Summary
The council voted to introduce Ordinance 550, which removes fixed backflow and cross‑connection fee amounts from the municipal code so the city can set and update them by resolution. Staff said new state certification requirements and higher testing costs (roughly $1,750 initial) are driving the change.
The City Council introduced Ordinance 550 on first reading to amend Chapter 13.12 of the Blue Lake Municipal Code and remove fixed fee amounts for cross‑connection and backflow testing. Staff told the council that recent state rules now require certified testers and specialists, substantially increasing training and certification costs.
"Certification is about $1,750 to get that," said Glenn, the city's cross‑connection specialist, explaining that initial certification and travel costs are the main drivers of the proposed fee changes. Staff said the ordinance will instead delegate fee adjustments to council resolutions so staff can update charges more quickly as costs evolve.
Councilmember Louis Lusail moved to introduce the ordinance and the motion passed on a voice vote; the action was for first reading only. The ordinance also adds a definition for a "user supervisor" and creates a delegated cross‑connection specialist role; staff identified Glenn as the current specialist but said future delegations could be assigned by the city.
