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Committee debates will-serve letters and 'domino effect' of extending utilities
Summary
Members warned that extending water and sewer service or issuing will-serve letters could trigger successive development; staff said parcel-specific water rights and annexation rules (water rights transfer with annexation) complicate straightforward policy fixes.
Committee members expressed concern that extending infrastructure and issuing will-serve letters could create a "domino effect" encouraging development beyond planned capacity. Steve Stringham and others said they wanted to ensure the plan gives clarity about when infrastructure extension is appropriate.
Administrator Milton Ollerton explained that water rights are parcel-specific and that when a parcel is annexed into a city, the water rights typically transfer to the city, complicating county policy. The committee discussed whether a requirement for a comprehensive infrastructure analysis could be written into the sub-area plan to inform future approvals and to protect existing users and aquifer recharge.
Committee members asked staff to propose language and to identify examples from other jurisdictions where utilities and development phasing have been coordinated; Ollerton said staff will pursue presentations from relevant agencies and prepare draft language.
