Memo
TO: Mayor Collins and Town Council Members
FROM: Kevin Burke, Town Manager
Andrew M. Miller, Town Attorney
DATE: December 3, 2015
DEPARTMENT: Town Attorney
Staff Contact
Andrew M. Miller, Town Attorney
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Sewer Disconnection Costs - Draft Ordinance Discussion
Body
Council Goals
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Town Staff anticipates that it may need to move forward with the disconnection of sewer service on some very dated accounts for which other methods of collection (such as filing liens) have proven of little effect. However, prior to moving forward with such disconnections the Staff believes it would benefit the Town to amend the current Town Code to provide for full cost recovery of those costs associated with a disconnection.
Current Town Code §15-6-2 provides that the Town may discontinue sewer service when a sewer customer refuses to pay sewer fees and that the discontinuation shall be accomplished by physically cutting and blocking the building connection to the Town sewer system. This section also provides for notification of the sewer customer prior to the discontinuance of service and for a charge of $500 prior to reconnecting the sewer. Based on the expected costs to disconnect and reconnect a sewer service account the current Code amount is not adequate to recoup the costs incurred for a sewer disconnection. For the most simple type of disconnection, without cutting into the street, the plug estimate is at least $1200.00 for the contract work to “plug” the sewer line, see attached estimate for one location. However disconnections involving cutting into the street are estimated to be thousands more.
Modifications to the current Town Sewer Code provisions needed to implement a full cost recovery for a disconnection and reconnection are shown on attached draft Ordinance No. 695, and include the following:
• Once service is disconnected, it cannot be reestablished without the property owner for the sewer account paying all past due fees, service charges, an additional deposit to reestablish sewer service, and the actual costs for disconnection and reconnection fees and any other related expenses
• Specific Disconnection and Reconnection fees are delineated in a Table in the ordinance to include charges for equipment, labor and any necessary repairs to sidewalks, curbs or streets, if any.
The suggested changes were modeled after changes made to the Town Code for another municipality that is considering sewer disconnections. Staff recommends that the Council review the draft ordinance and provide comments prior to the ordinance being scheduled as a future Council action item.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Ordinance No. 695
Sample of a Simple Sewer Plug Estimate