Chapter 9.05
PERMIT FEES AND CONNECTION CHARGES
Sections:
Article I. Permit Fees
9.05.005 Sewer availability determination fee.
9.05.020 Sewer stub charge – Road excavation charges.
9.05.030 Engineering review, inspection fees, additional stubs, costs outside ULIDs.
9.05.035 Plan review and construction inspection fees.
Article II. Connection Charges
9.05.060 Connection fee categories.
9.05.070 Local facilities charge.
9.05.080 Connection prior to use determination.
9.05.085 Developer extension agreement deposit.
9.05.090 Timing of collecting fees.
9.05.100 General facilities charges.
Article III. District Reimbursement Charges
9.05.110 Adopted, areas designated.
9.05.120 Callow Road local facility charge.
9.05.130 Oak Road local facility charge.
9.05.140 Lift Station 7C and 8C basin charge.
9.05.150 Mountain View lift station basin charge.
Article I. Permit Fees
9.05.005 Sewer availability determination fee.
(1) The Board increases the sewer availability determination fee to $45.00 for individual side sewer connections and short plats of four or less new dwelling units, and to $80.00 for potential developments requiring five dwelling units or more of sewer capacity.
(2) The District’s General Manager or his/her designee is authorized to establish an application, form or other District publication needed to implement this policy and need not utilize the form contained in Resolution No. 914. [Res. 1032 §§ 1, 2, 2022; Res. 914 § 1, 2016.]
9.05.010 Permit fees.
At the time when a building sewer permit is applied for, or prior to the issuance of a “letter of availability” of the subject property to the building department of the county or applicable city or town, if any, whichever event shall occur first, the applicant shall pay to the District a permit fee as set forth below and the stub charge and/or other charges, if any, required by LSSDC 9.05.020 and 9.05.030. In the event the permit is not issued, the permit fee and connection charge shall be refunded. Permit fees shall be as follows:
(1) The fees for residential permits shall be as follows:
|
Single-Family Residence Side Sewer Permit |
$550.00 |
Single-family dwelling (may also include detached condominium, ADU, etc.) |
|
Multifamily Side Sewer Permit |
$300.00 per unit |
Each dwelling unit for duplex, triplex, apartment, condominium, mobile home park, etc. |
|
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Connection Permit |
$300.00 |
Unit meeting the District’s criteria of an ADU and sharing a side sewer with the parcel’s primary residence |
|
Accessory Structure Connection Permit |
$250.00 |
Structure meeting the District’s criteria of an accessory structure sharing a side sewer with the parcel’s primary residence |
|
Modification of Side Sewer Permit -or- Sewer Stub Extension Permit |
$250.00 |
Existing side sewer or sewer stub modification |
|
Side Sewer Repair Permit |
$100.00 |
Repair of existing side sewer with current service |
|
Capping Permit -or- Uncapping Permit |
$300.00 |
Disconnection or reconnection of existing sewer service |
(2) The fees for commercial permits shall be as follows:
|
Commercial Side Sewer Permit |
$550.00 per ERU |
Commercial ERU calculations determined using the District’s commercial general facilities charge methodology |
|
Mixed Use Commercial and Residential Side Sewer Permit |
$550.00 per commercial ERU + $300.00 per residential unit |
Commercial ERU calculations determined using the District’s commercial general facilities charge methodology |
|
Pretreatment Device Permit |
$250.00 |
Installation, modification or removal of a grease trap, grease interceptor, oil/water separator and/or other device required by the District’s pretreatment regulations |
|
Commercial Side Sewer Repair Permit |
$250.00 |
Repair of existing commercial sewer connection |
|
Commercial Capping Permit -or- Uncapping Permit |
$300.00 |
Disconnection or reconnection of existing sewer service |
(3) The fees for additional services are in addition to any applicable permit fees and shall be as follows:
|
Sewer Main Tapping Fee |
$250.00 each |
A new or modified connection requiring the tapping of the District’s sewer main |
|
After Hours/Weekend Inspections |
$350.00 minimum charge + $125.00 per each hour over 2 hours* |
All after hours/weekend inspections shall be scheduled 48 hours in advance. The District reserves the right to deny any after hours/weekend inspections for any reason. Any time over 2 hours will be billed in 0.5-hour increments. *Additional fee for time over 2 hours shall be paid prior to closing the permit |
|
District Observed Holiday Inspections |
$750.00 minimum charge + $325.00 per each hour over 2 hours* |
All District observed holiday inspections shall be scheduled 5 business days in advance. The District reserves the right to deny any District observed holiday inspections for any reason. Any time over 2 hours will be billed in 0.5-hour increments. *Additional fee for time over 2 hours shall be paid prior to closing the permit |
|
Reinspection |
$100.00 |
For failed inspections or if inspector arrives on site and the site is not ready for inspection. Fee must be paid prior to reinspection |
|
Sewer Permit Extension |
$50.00 |
A 90-day extension on the expiration date of a sewer permit must be paid within 30 days of the issued permit expiring |
[Res. 1046 § 1, 2023; Res. 1030 §§ 1 – 3, 2022; Res. 580 §§ 1, 2, 1994; Res. 62 § 6.01, 1968.]
9.05.020 Sewer stub charge – Road excavation charges.
For each sewer stub constructed in Utility Local Improvement Districts Nos. 1 and 2 during the initial construction therein, there shall be a charge equal to that fixed for such stubs in the assessment roll for the respective utility local improvement district. Payment of such charge shall entitle the property owner to have installed by the District, at its expense, a sewer stub from the District’s sewer line to the property line of the property to be served. Such charge shall be included within the assessment or shall be immediately payable for all properties capable of being served by the District’s sewage system under Utility Local Improvement Districts Nos. 1 and 2.
For all future sewer stubs, the permit fee shall be paid upon application being made for such sewer stub, and the full cost of installing such sewer stub including road restoration shall be at the property owner’s expense. [Res. 62 § 6.02, 1968.]
9.05.030 Engineering review, inspection fees, additional stubs, costs outside ULIDs.
In the event that more than three separate building units are to be connected by the same property owner, the District may require the property owner to submit to the District for its approval plans covering such connections prepared by a registered professional engineer and showing the size of pipe and its proposed location and grade. In the event the property owner shall submit the plans to the District’s engineer for review, the property owner shall pay to the District, at the time he submits those plans for review, a sum equal to 10 percent of the estimated cost of such construction work to pay for the engineering and administrative cost of such review and checking of plans by the District’s engineer.
In the event any property owner desires any stubs to be installed from the public sewer to the property line in addition to the stub or stubs installed by the District for the parcel of land assessed for the improvement and stubs in a utility local improvement district, such additional stubs must be installed by a registered side sewer contractor solely at the property owner’s expense.
All sewer lines constructed by any property owner outside the boundaries of any utility local improvement district shall be constructed and installed at the sole expense of the property owner under the supervision of the District, and after installation such sewer lines, other than building sewers from the structure to the property line, shall be conveyed to the District free and clear of all liens or encumbrances, together with duly executed and acknowledged easements for all portions of such sewer lines located upon private property, all at no cost to the District. The cost of the District supervision shall be paid for by the property owner. The property owner shall furnish the District “as built” drawings covering such sewer lines so constructed and installed. [Res. 62 § 6.03, 1968.]
9.05.035 Plan review and construction inspection fees.
(1) The Board establishes that a “time and materials” basis for developer billing is in the best interests of the District to recover staff and/or consultation costs incurred to perform document preparation, legal and design reviews, and construction inspections.
(2) The Board establishes a 15 percent administrative charge to be added to developer invoices for District activities related to developer extension agreements and/or developer extension agreement amendments to recover District costs incurred to track, process, send, and collect developer billings.
(3) This section is applicable to all developer extension agreements or amendments to developer extension agreements for which the applications are filed after the effective date of the resolution codified in this section. [Res. 945 §§ 1 – 3, 2018; Res. 915 §§ 1, 2, 2016.]
Article II. Connection Charges
9.05.040 Definitions.
The following definitions shall apply to this article:
“ERU” means equivalent residential unit.
“General facilities cost” means the sum of the original cost of the sewer treatment plant and facilities in service, less “nonallocable costs,” plus interest accumulated at the rate applicable to the District.
“Nonallocable costs” means the sum of donated facilities, grants, assessments on ULID Nos. 1 through 3, capacity purchase by the City of Lake Stevens, capacity purchase by Hewlett-Packard, and outstanding non-ULID revenue debt.
“System development cost” means that portion of the “total project cost” which is directly applicable to the improvements required by property owners seeking to connect to the system during the 10 years following the annual calculation of the connection charge. [Res. 575 § 1, 1994.]
9.05.050 Methodology.
A connection charge is hereby established and shall be assessed against each new connection to the District sewer system, which connection charge shall be calculated on an annual basis according to the following methodology:
(1) The general facilities cost shall be calculated and divided by the total projected ERUs for the following 10 years to determine the “general facilities component.”
(2) The system development cost shall be calculated and divided by the ERUs projected to be added over the following 10 years to determine the “system development component.”
(3) The sum of the general facilities component and the system development component shall be the per lot connection charge.
(4) An example of the connection charge methodology is attached to the resolution codified in this article as Exhibit A for illustrative purposes. It is intended that the connection charge and its components shall be updated on an annual basis.
(5) Any taxes or charges which may be levied against such connection charges by the State of Washington or any county, city or other municipal corporation, having the power to so do, shall be added to the connection charge and billed to the connecting customer. [Res. 575 § 2, 1994.]
9.05.060 Connection fee categories.
|
Residential Accounts |
Connections |
|
|
1. Apartments and ADUs less than 600 sq ft |
0.778 ERU/unit |
|
|
2. Single-Family Residence or Apartments and ADUs greater than 600 sq ft |
1 ERU/dwelling |
|
|
3. Duplex Residence |
2 ERU |
|
|
4. Triplex Residence |
3 ERU |
|
|
5. Fourplex Residence |
4 ERU |
|
|
6. Condominium Development |
1 ERU/dwelling unit |
|
|
7. Nonconforming Structure |
Fixture count |
|
|
Commercial Accounts |
Connections |
|
|
Future occupancies not covered in the following list shall be rated at 1 connection per 1,000 ft of gross inside building space per water meter connection |
||
|
1. Financial Institutions (under 3,000 sq ft) |
1 |
|
|
2. Retail/Service Businesses (under 3,000 sq ft) |
1 |
|
|
3. Fire Department |
2 |
|
|
4. Parks – County |
(1/women’s and men’s room) |
1 |
|
(2/women’s and men’s room) |
2 |
|
|
5. Business Offices |
3 restrooms or less |
1 |
|
4 – 7 restrooms |
2 |
|
|
Above 7 restrooms (1 connection per 1,000 ft of gross inside building space per water meter connection) |
||
|
6. Clinics/Labs – Dental, medical, etc. |
1 connection/1,000 ft |
|
|
7. Restaurants/Taverns |
1 connection per 17 seats (seats, booth, or stool) |
|
|
8. Restaurants – Drive-in only |
1 connection per 200 cars daily |
|
|
9. Schools |
Day Care/Preschool – 1 connection per 60 students and staff |
|
|
Elementary – 1 connection per 60 students and staff |
||
|
High School – 1 connection per 40 students and staff |
||
|
10. Churches |
1 connection per 60 seats |
|
|
11. Halls – Banquet, dance, bingo, etc. |
1 connection per 60 legal occupants |
|
|
12. Health Clubs |
1 connection per 60 occupants |
|
|
Commercial Category |
ERUs per 1,000 Square Feet |
|
|
1. Car Wash |
6.00 |
|
|
2. Food Service Establishment |
2.00 |
|
|
3. Convenience Store |
1.20 |
|
|
4. Heavy Industrial/Manufacturing(1) |
1.20 |
|
|
5. Grocery Store |
0.68 |
|
|
6. Retirement/Assisted Living |
0.45 |
|
|
7. Hotel/Motel |
0.45 |
|
|
8. Light Industrial/Manufacturing(2) |
0.40 |
|
|
9. Medical/Dental |
0.19 |
|
|
10. Auto Sale |
0.19 |
|
|
11. Auto Repair |
0.19 |
|
|
12. School |
0.19 |
|
|
13. Mixed Use Commercial |
0.19 |
|
|
14. Retail |
0.19 |
|
|
15. Office Building |
0.19 |
|
|
16. Worship Center/Religious Institution |
0.19 |
|
|
17. Government |
0.19 |
|
|
18. Bank/Credit Union |
0.19 |
|
|
19. Other Commercial |
0.19 |
|
|
20. Storage/Warehouse |
0.01 |
|
|
A minimum of one GFC shall be assessed per commercial sewer connection. A sewer connection that includes elements of more than one commercial category listed in this table and/or a residential element, and each element is a significant component of the business as determined by the Lake Stevens Sewer District, the category with the highest impact shall be used to determine the assessment for the entire sewer connection. |
||
|
(1) The Heavy Industrial designation is generally assigned if water is used in and/or liquid waste is generated from the processing and/or manufacturing of goods. (2) The Light Industrial designation is generally assigned if no water is used in or liquid waste generated in the processing and/or manufacturing of goods. |
||
|
General Facility Charges to Be Negotiated (Calculations to be based on waste flow and/or strength) |
||
|
1. Laundromats |
||
|
2. Large Bakeries |
||
|
3. Breweries (micro and regular) |
||
|
4. Motels/Hotels |
||
|
5. Funeral Parlor |
||
|
6. Swimming Pools in Any Complex |
||
|
7. Electroplating/Silicon Chips, Etc. |
||
|
8. Industrial Complexes |
||
|
9. Shopping Centers/Supermarkets |
||
[Res. 1044 §§ 2 (Exh. A), 3, 4, 2023; Res. 955 §§ 1, 2 (Exhs. A, B), 2018; Res. 925 §§ 1, 2 (Exhs. A, B), 2016; Res. 676, 2000;* Res. 613 (Exh. A), 1996; Res. 575 (Exh. A), 1994.]
* Code reviser’s note: Resolution 676 provides as follows:
Resolution No. 613 is hereby amended such that shopping centers and supermarkets will be placed in the “general facility charges to be negotiated” category, as long as the District Superintendent determines, in his/her discretion, that available data are accurate for purposes of providing calculations for waste flow and/or strength. In the event that the Superintendent determines that accurate data is not available or has not been provided, supermarkets and shopping centers will revert to the general commercial account category where rates are calculated at one connection per 1000 square feet of gross interior space.
9.05.070 Local facilities charge.
(1) The Board of Commissioners hereby adopts and authorizes a methodology for the calculation of the local facilities charge, to be included in the District’s connection fee for properties serving into a utility local improvement district’s line that were not part of the original ULID, or properties serving into a developer extension line where the reimbursement period has expired.
(2) In order to determine the local facilities charge pursuant to this chapter, the District’s engineers shall determine the per unit costs of the sewerage lines based upon a density model of four dwelling units per acre. The methodology shall be substantially consistent with the methodology described in Exhibit “A” to the resolution codified in this chapter.
(3) This local facilities charge shall be updated on an annual basis by motion of the Board. Any taxes or charges which may be levied against such connection charges by the State of Washington or any county, city or other municipal corporation having the power to do so shall be added to the connection charge and billed to the connecting customer. [Res. 612 §§ 1 – 3, 1996; Res. 605 §§ 1 – 3, 1996.]
9.05.080 Connection prior to use determination.
Where a commercial property desires to connect to the District’s system of sewers through a developer extension agreement, but the owner is unaware of the ultimate use of the property, the property may connect on the following terms. The owner shall sign a binder, which shall be an addendum to the developer extension agreement, setting forth the minimum number of connections for the property. The binder shall represent the capacity to which the District is able to commit at the time of accepting the owner’s sewer line for connection to the District’s system. The binder shall contain language stating that any additional capacity needed (or any future build-out in excess of the minimum connection charge stated) shall be separately negotiated and paid for at the District’s then current connection charge rate. The binder/addendum shall be recorded along with the developer extension agreement to provide notice of the connection charge conditions. [Res. 644, 1998.]
9.05.085 Developer extension agreement deposit.
(1) At the time of application for a developer extension agreement, the required deposit for the initial phase of the overall project shall now be $5,000. The phases of the development shall be consistent with the associated land use actions granted by either Snohomish County or the City of Lake Stevens. The deposit for subsequent phases of the same multi-phase project, having the same ownership at the time of the subsequent phase development extension agreement(s) as the initial phase, shall be $2,500 for each subsequent phase.
(2) Separate projects shall be required to deposit $5,000. If there is any dispute as to whether a developer extension agreement is being submitted as a separate project or as a legitimate successive phase of an earlier developer extension agreement project, the District shall decide which circumstance applies and which deposit is applicable. The District’s decision, based on the information provided by the developer, its own files and otherwise available, shall be final. [Res. 1018 §§ 1, 2, 2022.]
9.05.090 Timing of collecting fees.
(1) For standard connections, the District’s regular connection fee shall be collected at the time the applicable side sewer permit fee is paid, and the side sewer must be installed, inspected and accepted by the District within 90 days of payment of the connection fee. If the side sewer is not so installed, inspected and accepted, the owner must reapply for the side sewer permit and pay the difference, if any, between the original connection fee and the then current connection fee. A side sewer reapplication fee of $150.00 will be charged in such cases. Side sewer contracts shall be used for short plats not requiring a developer extension agreement.
(2) For developer extension agreements, connection fees shall be accepted by the District after acceptance of the maintenance bond but prior to issuance of side sewer permits. The District shall only issue side sewer permits after acceptance of the warranty bill of sale unless otherwise provided for in the agreement or LSSDC 7.20.220 (Model home construction), and in all cases only after acceptance of any maintenance bond required by the agreement.
(3) For developments with prepaid connection fees (i.e., developer extension agreements), the side sewer must be installed, inspected and accepted by the District within 365 days of payment of the connection fee. If the side sewer is not so installed, inspected and accepted, the owner must reapply for the side sewer permit and pay the difference, if any, between the original connection fee and the then current connection fee. A side sewer reapplication fee of $150.00 (along with applicable State tax) will be charged in such cases. Side sewer contracts shall be used for short plats not requiring a developer extension agreement.
(4) At the time of executing the title transfer of donated facilities, the owner under a developer extension agreement must pay the full amount of the total of all GFC charges for all lots in the project and all “reimbursable” costs owed to previous development. [Res. 944 § 1, 2018; Res. 923 §§ 1, 2, 2016; Res. 862 §§ 1, 2, 2012; Res. 790 § 1, 2007; Res. 708 §§ 1, 2, 2002.]
9.05.100 General facilities charges.
In accordance with the District’s 2022 Comprehensive Plan work and the GFC analysis, attached hereto as Exhibit “A” incorporated herein by this reference, the Lake Stevens Sewer District shall hereby adopt an interim connection fee of $13,500 commencing effective May 1, 2022.
The interim connection fee of $13,500 shall remain in effect until such time as the complete 2022 Comprehensive Plan is approved by the District’s Board of Sewer Commissioners.
|
Existing Cost Basis ($000s) |
|
|
Capital Assets as of 12/31/2020 |
$230,824 |
|
Plus: Construction Work in Progress |
1,158 |
|
Less: Funding from Grants/Contributions |
(59,393) |
|
Less: ULID Assessments |
(19) |
|
Less: Latecomer Payments |
(2,032) |
|
Less: Provision for Asset Retirements from CIP |
(11,884) |
|
Plus: Interest Accrued on Utility-Funded Assets |
63,301 |
|
Less: Net Outstanding Debt Principal |
(42,624) |
|
Net Cost of Existing Facilities |
$179,331 |
|
|
|
|
Future Facilities Cost Basis ($000s) |
|
|
10-Year Capital Program |
$79,185 |
|
Less: Funding from Grants/Contributions |
(11,537) |
|
Less: Non-Capitalizable Projects |
(893) |
|
Net Cost of Future Facilities |
$66,755 |
|
|
|
|
Total Allocable Cost ($000s) |
$246,086 |
|
System Capacity in Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs) |
17,980 |
|
Calculated General Facilities Charge per ERU |
$13,687 |
|
Proposed General Facilities Charge per ERU |
$13,500 |
[Res. 1024 §§ 1 (Exh. A), 2, 2022; Res. 952 §§ 1 (Exh. A), 2, 2018; Res. 922 § 1 (Exh. A), 2016.]
Article III. District Reimbursement Charges
9.05.110 Adopted, areas designated.
The Lake Stevens Sewer District adopts a new Callow Road local facility charge, Oak Road local facility charge and Lift Station 7C and 8C basin charge as part of its connection fees. The Callow Road and Oak Road local facility charge areas are shown in Exhibit A, attached to the resolution codified in this section. The Lift Station 7C and 8C basin charge area is shown in Exhibit B, attached to the resolution codified in this section. [Res. 936 § 1, 2017.]
9.05.120 Callow Road local facility charge.
The Callow Road local facility charge shall be paid by the first 141 new connections to the Callow Road gravity sewer main as follows:
|
Reimbursable Cost to District for Callow Gravity Main Capacity |
= |
Total 8-Inch Callow Road Main Project Cost |
|
391 ERU |
[Res. 936 § 2, 2017.]
9.05.130 Oak Road local facility charge.
The Oak Road local facility charge shall be paid by the first 105 new connections to the Oak Road gravity sewer main as follows:
|
Reimbursable Cost to District for Oak Gravity Main Capacity |
= |
Total 8-Inch Oak Road Main Project Cost |
|
217 ERU |
[Res. 936 § 3, 2017.]
9.05.140 Lift Station 7C and 8C basin charge.
The Lift Station 7C and 8C basin charge shall be paid by the first 222 new connections to Lift Station 8C or 7C as follows:
|
Reimbursable Cost to District for Callow and Oak Gravity Main Oversizing |
= |
Total Callow and Oak Road Main Project Costs Less Total 8-Inch Callow and Oak Road Main Project Costs |
|
222 ERU |
[Res. 936 § 4, 2017.]
9.05.150 Mountain View lift station basin charge.
The Mountain View lift station basin charge shall be paid by the first 260 new connections to the Mountain View lift station as follows:
|
Reimbursable Cost to District for Mountain View Lift Station |
= |
Total Mountain View Lift Station Project Cost |
|
460 ERU |
[Res. 979 § 2, 2020.]