News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville City Council approved on first reading an ordinance Thursday night amending the city’s code setting new sewer tap fees.
Water Quality Control Director Barry Turner said the last time the fees were updated was in 2005. He said with so much new development going on, it was important to update these fees to recoup the cost of creating sewer taps. According to Turner, the city is losing approximately $1,200 per tap.
“What we’ve looked at, is this is a way to spread the cost out because if we need to do improvements to a basin, one developer can afford to do it all themselves,” Turner said. “So this allows us to collect money from future lots as they develop.”
Turner said the ordinance changes tap fees for a normal house from $1,000 to $2,200. It also implements a capacity fee of $1,000 for each new building lot created and each new apartment added.
Turner said the ordinance also increases the tap fees on other categories as well as on lots where the developer has installed the sewer. He said most utilities are charging the same for lots where the developer has installed the sewer as when the city installs it.
“Most cities are charging the same price, they’re going to the $2,200 for the tap fee whether the developer put the sewer in or not,” Turner said. “But we’re trying to hold that and give the developer some advantage there so they would pay $1,000.”
Discussion was had about when these fees would go into effect. Originally, the sewer connection fee pricing will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. Council Member Chad Gilbert said he wanted to make sure developers who are in the process of starting to build get enough notice the fees would be going into place.
Council Members approved unanimously to amend that date to March 1st, 2023. The ordinance will have to come back for second reading and approval by the council.
In other business, the city also approved a contract tor purchase property from the Bricie Rice Estate adjacent to the Business Park. City Manager James Mills said it is a joint purchase with the County. County commissioners approved the purchase earlier this week.
