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City staff unveil comprehensive draft rewrite of Milwaukie water utility code
Summary
City staffer Peter presented a comprehensive modernization of Milwaukie’s water utility code (chapter 13.04) to clarify customer and city responsibilities, update enforcement provisions, and move technical standards into public‑works documents; staff recommended additional review before formal council action.
City utility staff presented a draft, comprehensive rewrite of the water utility code (chapter 13.04) intended to modernize language, clarify customer and city responsibilities, and provide consistent administrative and enforcement provisions.
Peter (city staff) said the existing code was difficult to follow and lacked clarity on account ownership, leak adjustments, service discontinuation, and enforcement. The draft organizes provisions into clearer sections, establishes condition‑of‑service rules, clarifies private versus city service‑line responsibilities, and moves technical specifications to public‑works standards to avoid prescriptive code text. He emphasized the rewrite is not intended to change service levels or create new fees but to improve transparency and predictable administration.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about account ownership and tenant billing; Peter said the draft gives the city flexibility to set up tenant accounts while keeping the property owner ultimately responsible if bills go unpaid. Staff recommended more stakeholder review, including the QUAC advisory body and additional internal reviews, before scheduling council consideration.
