Council keeps $28,000 fire-suppression hookup fee after heated debate

Sandy Martin, a local business owner and community safety advocate, urged the council to cut the city’s $28,000 hookup charge for a 6-inch fire-suppression line, saying the fee is prohibitive for small businesses and affordable-housing developers.

“a 6-in fire line suppression of $28,000,” Martin said, calling the amount “very counterproductive” and urging the council to “reassess these fees” so fire safety is affordable for all. She argued that the fee discourages installation of lifesaving sprinklers in new and existing buildings.

Councilman Terry Larson proposed reducing the one-time hookup fee and recouping revenue through a modest monthly charge, saying it would make startups more feasible. “If we reduced the the connection fee to $5,000 and then charged a monthly fee of $50 to have a fire suppression line over time, we compensate,” Larson said.

Staff and other council members said the fee reflects a system-wide replacement-cost calculation. Council member Chris Larson noted the city’s water-study math and replacement-cost amortization, which placed per-connection cost near the current level and argued the fee helps fund long-term system improvements. The council debated whether owners who previously paid the higher fee should receive any compensation under a new structure; Larson proposed exempting earlier payers from the monthly fee as a concession.

After extended discussion, the council voted to leave the fee unchanged following a roll-call vote and direction from the city attorney that the current approach is defensible under the water‑study and prior fee resolutions. The council emphasized balancing business-friendliness with the need to fund future water-system upgrades.

Council may revisit the fee if staff returns with alternative cost-recovery mechanisms or a revised water-replacement plan.