Sewer resolution gains momentum

Members of the Saratoga Town Council and the Saratoga/Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (water and sewer) took the first steps to establish a resolution for the new sewer ordinance.

Ordinance 828, which is intended to increase the base water fee in order to pay for the Outfall Pump Station and Transmission Line Project, was passed on the third reading at the Nov. 19 town council meeting with the understanding a resolution would be passed in order to resolve billing disputes.

In an effort to solve billing debates between hotels and apartment dwellers, the collaborating group turned to the municipal code. The group decided to extend equal billing to all units referred to as residential dwellings under 18.06.120. The codes defines a dwelling as “a building or portion thereof designed exclusively for residential purposes, including one-family, two-family and multiple dwellings but not including hotels, boarding and lodging houses, fraternity and sorority houses, rest homes and nursing homes or child care nurseries.”

Members of the workshop agreed each dwelling should be individually billed a base rate for sewer usage.

The resolution will be discussed by the water and sewer board meeting tonight. If passed, the resolution will go to the Saratoga Town Council for approval.

But it was not without protest from local residents. Some residents suggested a different fee system which would bill for usage of sewer systems. Saratoga resident Chris Shannon suggested a flat sewer rate with variable water usage fees. He said, in the current plan, property owners would be unfairly charged the same rates regardless of whether a unit is occupied.

It is unclear at this time if another workshop will be set up to identify and address additional issues with the resolution.

The next water and sewer board meeting will take place at 6 p.m. tonight at Saratoga Town Hall.