Chapter 13.72 INSTALLATION AND CONNECTION FEES

Chapter 13.72
INSTALLATION AND CONNECTION FEES

Sections:

13.72.010 Installation and connection fees.

13.72.020 Sewer general facility charges.

13.72.025 Water general facility charges.

13.72.010 Installation and connection fees.

A. From and after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section, no person or firm shall connect to the city water distribution system or sewage disposal system without first paying to the city clerk the sum or sums set forth in this section and without having first obtained a permit from the city therefor.

B. For the purposes of this section, “developer installed services” shall be defined as services installed from the city main to the property line according to the city standards and including the developer’s purchase and placement of all materials, including meter, meter box, locking meter stop, piping, fittings and all related appurtenances, and including roadway replacement and sidewalk removal, if necessary.

C. Water. Service charges for connecting to any city water main is set forth in Chapter 3.68 SMC (Rates and Fees). (Ord. 2021-028 § 1(c) (Exh. C); Ord. 2020-013 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 93-012 § 2)

13.72.020 Sewer general facility charges.

From and after the effective date of the amending ordinance codified in this section, there shall be collected from each person, firm or corporation connecting to the sanitary sewer system of the city for property located within the city or within the urban growth area (UGA) the following charges (which shall be in addition to and supplemental to any other connection charges established in this chapter or in any other ordinances of the city). The GFC collected will be the charge in effect when a complete building permit application is filed. GFCs are not payable in advance.

A. For connection to the city sewage disposal system:

		Type of Connection	General Facilities Charge (per unit)
1.		Residential living unit	As established by resolution [one equivalent residential unit, ERU]
			(includes condominium units, mobile home park units and multifamily units under three-plex)
2.		Multifamily units (over two units)	[0.7 ERU per unit]
3.		Temporary residential units:
	a.	Motel and hotel rooms, seasonal overnight travel trailer parks and RV parks	[0.3 ERU per unit]
	b.	Rest homes, nursing homes, assisted care facilities	[0.6 ERU per unit]
4.		Commercial and industrial units and other units:
		Based on the following meter size as determined by approved engineering recommendation according to current ANSI/AWWA standard C700. Increases due to fire sprinkler installation may be disregarded in the below calculations; provided, that the increased capacity cannot be used for other than fire sprinklers.
		Meter Size (inches)	ERU
		5/8	1
		3/4	1.5
		1	2.5
		1-1/2	5
		2	8

Meters sized greater than two inches or any use requiring an industrial pretreatment plan requires an approved engineering analysis of equivalent ERUs.

B. The city public works director’s decision as to anticipated sewer usage may be appealed to the hearing examiner upon written notice filed with the city clerk within 21 days of the director’s decision. This amendatory section and amended rates do not affect rates contracted to be collected pursuant to any latecomer agreement.

C. If a project for which a GFC has been paid does not connect to the city sewer system before the building permit expires, a new GFC will be charged based on the difference between the GFC paid and the new GFC in effect on the date when a new complete building permit application is filed. No refund shall be issued if the new GFC is lower than the paid GFC.

D. Extensions of service in Sequim’s corporate city limits and the urban growth area shall have a priority over extensions outside of Sequim’s urban growth area except in the case of risks to public health so certified by the Clallam County health director.

E. Connection to the City Sewage Disposal System for Service of Properties Lying Outside the Corporate Limits but Within the Sequim Urban Growth Area. The city council may, at its sole discretion, extend the city’s sewage disposal system to serve property lying outside the corporate city limits but within the UGA. Such UGA extensions shall be made upon such terms and conditions as the council deems appropriate. Such terms and conditions shall, at a minimum, include the following:

1. Owners of the property to be served shall sign and return to the city for recording purposes a declaration of covenant and an irrevocable power of attorney to the city and a commitment to annex and a waiver of all objections to annexation at such time as the extension of the corporate boundaries to include the subject property becomes desirable by the city. Such agreement shall constitute a covenant running with the land to be served.

2. Owners will pay a monthly collection fee of not less than one and one-half times the fee charged to city residents. The council, at its discretion, may increase this amount in situations where the costs of providing service are extraordinary. Such monthly collection fees will be adjusted at such time as the property is actually annexed into the city.

3. The city shall reserve the right to disconnect service in the event the continued service would subject the city sewage disposal system to unreasonable damage, or unreasonable increased maintenance costs. The city shall reconnect after the risk of unreasonable damage and unreasonable increased maintenance costs no longer exists.

4. The city may require installation of or bonding or no-protest LIDs for streets, curbs, gutters and sidewalks and other terms as part of a preannexation agreement or other agreement with the city, which agreement shall be recorded as a covenant affecting all of the parcels of the owner receiving city services.

5. Owners shall also be bound by the applicable terms of any interlocal agreement between the city and Clallam County concerning land use and utilities in the Sequim urban growth area.

F. Latecomer Applicability. Owners of property connecting laterally to developer- established sewer trunk lines shall be subject to payment of latecomer fees as established by a recorded agreement between the city and the developer/installer.

G. General Facilities Charges for Extensions of City Sewage Service Outside City Limits. General facilities charges for connection to the city sewage disposal system to serve property located outside the corporate city limits for use for regionally significant residential units, commercial or industrial uses are established by the city council at the time of application for service. Where existing contracts, executed prior to the adoption of the Growth Management Act (Chapter 36.70A RCW), provided for sewage service to areas outside of Sequim’s city limits, the general facility charges will be at least one and one-half times the general facility charge provided for inside the city limits or as specifically provided by contract. Former SMC 13.72.020(F) (as referenced in some contracts and as existing in 1989) is intended to be modified and replaced by this subsection G.

H. Transfer of General Facilities Fees.

1. Persons or entities owning property for which sewer general facilities charges have previously been paid by the owner to the city may transfer the sewer development rights obtained by the general facilities payment to a different location under the following conditions:

a. The buildings which were served by the utilities provided pursuant to the general facilities payments are to be demolished or removed;

b. The general facility charge transfer shall be recorded in favor of the city in the county property records at the property owner’s expense.

2. In the event structures are destroyed or demolished on any site, an additional general facilities charge for a replacement structure erected upon the same site, and for which the same number of general facilities charges would be levied as had been previously paid, shall not be required.

3. The amount of general facilities charges which may be transferred shall be calculated based upon the amount actually paid by the owner of the premises at the time of the initial payment of general facilities charges. The funds paid may be transferred and applied to the new location at their face value. If, from the time of the initial payment to the time of the requested transfer, general facilities charges have increased, the transferor shall pay the difference between the general facilities charges paid and general facilities charges which would be levied under the new rate structure.

4. The terms of this section relating to transfer of general facilities charges shall apply to sewer general facilities charges. (Ord. 2021-028 § 1(c) (Exh. C); Ord. 2020-013 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 2019-004 (Exh. B); Ord. 2015-017 § 1 (Att. A); Ord. 2013-005 § 1; Ord. 2008-003 § 2; Ord. 2007-001; Ord. 2005-029 § 2; Ord. 2004-002 Exh. A; Ord. 2002-015; Ord. 97-007 § 2)

13.72.025 Water general facility charges.

From and after the effective date of the amending ordinance codified in this section there shall be collected from each person, firm or corporation connecting to the water system of the city for property located within the city or within the urban growth area (UGA) the following charges (which shall be in addition to and supplemental to any other connection charges established in this chapter or in any other ordinances of the city). The GFC collected will be the charge in effect when a complete building permit application is filed. GFCs are payable only upon filing a complete building permit application. GFCs are not payable in advance.

A. For connection to the city water distribution system:

		Type of Connection	General Facilities Charge (per unit)
1.		Residential living unit	As established by resolution [one equivalent residential unit, ERU]
			(includes condominium units, mobile home park units and multifamily units under three-plex)
2.		Multifamily units (over two units)	[0.7 ERU per unit]
3.		Temporary residential units:
	a.	Motel and hotel rooms, seasonal overnight travel trailer parks, and RV parks	[0.3 ERU per unit]
	b.	Rest homes, nursing homes, assisted care facilities	[0.6 ERU per unit]
4.		Commercial and industrial units and other units:
		Based on the following meter size as determined by approved engineering recommendation according to current ANSI/AWWA standard C700. Increases due to fire sprinkler installation may be disregarded in the below calculations; provided, that the increased capacity cannot be used for other than fire sprinklers.
		Meter Size (inches)	ERU
		5/8	1
		3/4	1.5
		1	2.5
		1-1/2	5
		2	8

Meters sized greater than two inches or any use requiring an industrial pretreatment plan requires a city-approved engineering analysis of equivalent ERUs.

B. The city public works director’s decision as to anticipated water usage may be appealed to the hearing examiner upon written notice filed with the city clerk within 21 days of the director’s decision.

C. If a project for which a GFC has been paid does not connect to the city water system before the building permit expires, a new GFC will be charged based on the difference between the GFC paid and the new GFC in effect on the date when a new complete building permit application is filed. No refund shall be issued if the new GFC is lower than the paid GFC.

E. Connection to the City Water System for Service of Properties Lying Outside the Corporate Limits but Within the Sequim Urban Growth Area. The city council may, at its sole discretion, extend the city’s water system to serve property lying outside the corporate city limits but within the UGA. Such UGA extensions shall be made upon such terms and conditions as the council deems appropriate. Such terms and conditions shall, at a minimum, include the following:

2. Owners shall pay a monthly collection fee of not less than one and one-half times the fee charged to city residents. The council, at its discretion, may increase this amount in situations where the costs of providing service are extraordinary. Such monthly collection fees shall be adjusted at such time as the property is actually annexed into the city.

3. The city shall reserve the right to disconnect service in the event the continued service would subject the city water system to unreasonable damage, or unreasonable increased maintenance costs. The city shall reconnect after the risk of unreasonable damage and unreasonable increased maintenance costs no longer exists.

5. Owners shall also be bound by the applicable terms of any interlocal agreement between the city and Clallam County concerning land use and utilities in the Sequim urban growth area.

F. Latecomer Applicability. Owners of property connecting laterally to developer-established water trunk lines shall be subject to payment of latecomer fees as established by a recorded agreement between the city and the developer/installer.

G. General facilities charges for extensions of city water service outside city limits and outside the Sequim urban growth area for use for regionally significant residential units, commercial or industrial uses shall be established by the city council at the time of application for service.

H. Transfer of Water General Facilities Fees.

1. Persons or entities owning property for which water general facilities charges have previously been paid by the owner to the city may transfer the water development rights obtained by the general facilities payment to a different location under the following conditions:

a. The buildings which were served by the utilities provided pursuant to the general facilities payments are to be demolished or removed;

b. The general facility charge transfer shall be recorded in favor of the city in the county property records at the property owner’s expense.

4. The terms of this section relating to transfer of general facilities charges shall apply to water general facilities charges. (Ord. 2020-013 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 2019-004 (Exh. B); Ord. 2015-017 § 1 (Att. A); Ord. 2013-005 § 1; Ord. 2007-001; Ord. 2005-029 § 2; Ord. 2004-002 Exh. A; Ord. 2002-015; Ord. 97-008 § 2)

13.72.030 Collection of fees.

The connection charges established in this chapter shall be collected at the time the request for connection is made or, if a building permit is to be issued, at the time the building permit is issued. (Ord. 2020-013 § 1 (Exh. A); Ord. 299 § 2, 1974)