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

Sandy Martin urged the council to reduce what she called an “unreasonable” $28,000 fee for a 6-inch fire-suppression hookup, saying the cost discourages small businesses and affordable housing. “Fire suppression systems are not a luxury…By imposing unreasonable fire suppression hookup fees…the city discourages the installation, especially among small businesses, nonprofits, and low income housing developers,” Martin said (public comment).

Council members questioned the size of the charge and reviewed a 2022 city water study that found areas of the system cannot deliver required firefighting flows. Councilmember Terry Larson said the hookup is often non-consumptive and proposed cutting the upfront fee to $5,000 while collecting a $50 monthly charge for hookup owners as a way to spread costs. “If we reduce the connection fee to $5,000 and then charge a monthly fee of $50…over time, we compensate,” Larson said.

Opponents of the reduction cited the water study’s replacement-cost math. Councilmember Chris Larson presented staff calculations showing system replacement cost per potential connection is about $27,065 — roughly supporting the existing level. After extended discussion that weighed infrastructure replacement needs, fairness to past payers and the administrative steps required to change the fee schedule, the council voted to leave the fee unchanged. A roll-call vote recorded opposing and supporting council members; the motion to retain the current fee passed and the item will remain on the fee-resolution schedule unless reintroduced.

Why it matters: The fee debate balances two priorities — making fire protection affordable for developers and ensuring the city can fund long-term water-system replacement and redundancy. The council’s decision preserves current funding assumptions but leaves open the possibility of revisiting the structure with further analysis or a graduated approach.