Friday, Jul. 11, 2008

Council Considers Charging Unconnected Homeowners City Sewer System Fee

By Nicholas Sakelaris

Staff Writer

Whether you use sewer or not, you could end up paying a sewer fee.

The majority of Southlake residents do not hook up to city sewer after it becomes available to their neighborhood, frustrated city officials noted at a City Council work session Tuesday.

Since 2000, the city has built sewer lines to 325 lots in seven neighborhoods, but only 48 percent of potential customers actually connected.

Mayor Andy Wambsganss and some other City Council members want customers to pay a “sewer availability fee” if sewer is there, whether residents choose to hook up or not.

“We’ve really got to improve the participation in all these neighborhoods,” Wambsganss said. “That million dollars it took to get into that neighborhood is supplemented by sewer fees that everyone else around town is actually paying.”

Bob Price, director of public works, agreed, saying the city needs 100 percent participation to recoup the capital costs to build the line.

“It allows us to maximize the return on the investment of the [Capital Improvement Project] taxpayer dollars which were focused toward the installation,” Price said.

The city is also considering waiving the sewer tap fee when sewer first becomes available to encourage people to hook up. The council increased the sewer tap fee from $1,225 to $1,700 in May.

Customers would still have to pay a $1,300 participation fee and a $15 application fee to connect. Payments can be made over six months.

Neighborhoods in which sewer participation has been low include Cross Timber Hills, Shadow Creek, Trail Creek, Hunter’s Ridge, Randol Mill Estates, Hillside Estates and Cedar Oak.

Newly elected Councilwoman Pamela Muller said the city dealt with many of these same issues when she was on the council 10 years ago. Some residents may not be able to afford the cost to build a pipe to the main line, she stated.

“We have some people on limited incomes in the older neighborhoods,” Muller said.

Depending on the soil condition, some Southlake residents have major problems with their septic systems, Muller said.

“A person who has a problem can’t hook up to the sewer fast enough,” Muller said.

Others have no incentive to sign up because their existing septic system works fine, she said.

The Woodland Heights sewer project is expected to be completed this summer, potentially bringing service to 36 lots in that neighborhood. Similar projects are planned in other neighborhoods that currently use septic systems.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality encourages the use of sewer systems because the wastewater is treated rather than leached into the ground.

The city plans to use the Connect CTY calling system and SPIN meetings to get the word out about hooking up to the sewer.

Houses Loom Larger The council voted 4-1 on first reading to amend the city’s zoning ordinance to increase the maximum lot coverage for a single family home from 20 percent to 30 percent on 1-acre lots. On half-acre lots, the amount of land covered by buildings would jump from 30 percent to 40 percent.

Newly elected Councilwoman Pamela Muller opposed the change, saying it would destroy the open feel that characterizes Southlake. She said it would resemble other cities where large houses are crammed onto lots with little space between neighbors.

“Big houses crammed onto small lots isn’t part of the identity of Southlake,” Muller said. “It’s just too much house for that lot.”

The council will have a final reading on the ordinance at its July 15 meeting.

Addition Approved for Town Square The council approved a site plan for a 46,901-square foot addition to Southlake Town Square.

The office and retail center will be built at the southwest corner of State and Prospect streets near the post office. The project will have 22,000-square feet of retail that could include a 10,000-square-foot upscale clothing store. The rest of the building will be office space.

The project will displace 106 parking spaces, but there are plans in the next few years to build a third parking garage in the area.