Time frame mulled for lapsed utility connections

PRIEST RIVER — A water and sewer connection fee for 7Brews and May’s Catering was recently waived by city officials, per the city’s current utility ordinance.

It brought up the question, however, as to whether the city should add language regarding abandoned connections. A proposed ordinance set before City Council members on Monday would do just that.

“Within our ordinance, it never had a time frame on which a utility connection became basically abandoned,” said Mayor Jim Martin.

Under the proposed ordinance, a connection fee would be required if a water and/or sewer connection is deemed abandoned. An abandoned connection is defined as not having been used for 36 consecutive months, or “for any reason have become useless for further service.”

“Basically, if there is a utility service that is not active within our system for 36 consecutive months, then it is deemed abandoned and we would disconnect it at that point,” Martin said.

In looking at options for abandoned connections, Martin said he researched other cities and their ordinances, which varied from three months to 36 months.

Another section that referred to facility charges was removed in the proposed ordinance as well, as Martin said the city no longer collects those.

The original request to waive or discount the $7,500 water and sewer connection fee for 7Brews and May’s Catering in December was brought to council by property owner Chris Yount.

Yount said the lot had previously housed a residence and a recreational vehicle in the 1980s, and the original thought was to re-establish or reuse the sewer and water connection from the old residence. However, because the old line was plugged up with gravel, he said, they ultimately decided to run off of the private line that services the adjacent duplexes owned by Yount. Because there was an existing private line, and because there was no expenditure by the city for material or labor, Yount asked city officials to consider waiving or discounting the connection fee.

“My position is that we have simply extended for a small use enterprise,” Yount said at the time, adding that both businesses use minimal water and sewer.

In a recent draft letter to Yount, Martin concurred that, since there was previously a structure and utility connection on the property, no additional connection fee was required based on the city’s current utility ordinance.

No action was taken by council members on the proposed ordinance Monday. The topic will be discussed further at the next meeting on April 15.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.