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Residents seek solution to sewer quandary
By Jim Cornelius

Residents of the Buck Run III subdivision in Sisters are trying to find a way to hook up to the city sewer system without breaking the bank.

A group of property owners met with Sisters city councilors on Thursday, November 1, with a proposal to pay for the installation of sewer main lines but wait for 10 years to hook up to the system.

Buck Run III was never included in the original plans for the sewer system, but the residents are required by law to hook up once the system is available. Most of the property owners were unaware that that meant they would have to pay to put their own main lines and laterals in neighborhood streets.

Many property owners have already spent thousands of dollars on septic systems that will have to be abandoned when they hook up to the sewer system.

Attorney Robert Lovelein, who spoke for four of the 13 property owners affected, said they would be willing to form a Limited Improvement District (LID) or some other organization to fund at least a portion of main line construction at a rate of about $4,000 per lot.

The property owners also want the city to give them a 10 year grace period before being required to hook up -- unless their septic systems fail. That way, the residents would get full use from their expensive septic systems before having to pay Systems Development Charges and install laterals to their homes to hook up to the sewer.

City councilors agreed to continue exploring a solution along these lines -- but there are hurdles.

The first is cost. The city engineer, Dick Nored, estimates mainline construction in the Buck Run III neighborhood at between $90,000 and $100,000. The property owners had been operating on an early rough city estimate of $65,000.

The residents are offering to pay some $48,000, with another $10,000 to come from developers of nearby Coyote Springs and with the city to make up the difference.

It is possible that a private group could get the work done more cheaply than the city because they would not face government requirements to pay "prevailing wage." According to city public works director Gary Frazee, "prevailing wage" can be as much as two times market wages.

But at least one councilor has his doubts.

"I think $48,000 won't get the lines in," said Councilor Lon Kellstrom. "$48,000 won't even get close, in my opinion, even if you do it privately."

Another question is whether the Department of Environmental Quality will allow residents to wait 10 years to hook up to the system. The agency could revoke residents' septic permits, according to city attorney Steve Bryant.

The city has no control over DEQ's permitting process, Bryant noted.

"It's something to be aware of and know that that's at least a little bit of a risk," the attorney said.

Lovelein said that property owners really aren't prepared to pay more than about $400 per year to finance the project. And, he noted, he only speaks for some of those affected. The whole group would need to decide if a financing plan is the way they want to go.

The city council will meet with the property owners again on November 15, to refine cost estimates and discuss engineering possibilities.

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