Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Supply topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trainer: moratorium on water hookups must tie to ordinance amendment and is time-limited
Summary
Spring City was advised that any moratorium on new water connections must be linked to an ordinance amendment process to be legally defensible; Mr. Terry noted guidance that moratoria have maximum durations (180 days) when tied to active ordinance consideration.
Council members raised concerns about declining spring and well output and asked whether the city could halt new water connections. Rob Terry advised that a standalone pause is not legally defensible; a moratorium must be enacted with a clear nexus to an ordinance amendment under active consideration and should not be open-ended.
Terry told officials that "a moratorium is only legally defensible if the agency is actively considering an ordinance amendment; maximum duration is 180 days." He recommended that any staff work on water-supply contingency plans proceed alongside careful legal and ordinance drafting to avoid challenges.
