Residents fight sewer charge

When retired residents Marilyn and Jack Kinsey built their home two years ago on South Maple Street, they paid $7,500 to hook up a septic system because their lot was not part of the city's 1997 sewer construction project, which served nearby residents.

Then, last month, the Kinseys received a letter from the city informing them they might have to pay more than $13,000 to help finance a sewer improvement project on South Maple between Tyee Drive and Coyote Springs Drive in the Buck Run III subdivision.

"I was never told we would be required to build a sewer system," said Marilyn Kinsey. "We've had no problems with the septic. We expect the septic to last 25 years."

Two of their neighboring homeowners and two Buck Run Phase III property owners received the same letter informing them of a project that, if approved by city council, would total more than $80,000. Each lot would be charged about $13,000.

The six lots (one couple owns two) did not benefit from the city's initial sewer construction project because their subdivision was not approved until after the 1997 "snapshot" date the city used to allocate sewer services, according to an attorney's report.

At the first public hearing on this matter, Wednesday, September 10, at Sisters City Hall, attorney Michael Peterkin represented three of the property owners: Robert Boyd, Arthur and Virginia Gundersen and Jack and Marilyn Kinsey.

"These are retired people here and they don't have $13,000 and we don't think that's appropriate," Peterkin said.

The charge would reimburse the city for installing 426 linear feet of an eight-inch sanitary sewer as part of a sewer reimbursement district project. A sewer reimbursement district is typically applied to residents in areas considered underdeveloped and requires the residents to pay reimbursement fees if the city successfully administers public improvements.

The sewer line is needed to allow the second phase of the Coyote Springs subdivision to proceed, according to city reports.

"We want to provide for the total benefit of the city, not just specific individuals who are part of the city," said Richard Nored, of HGE Inc. in Coos Bay.

Nored is one of the engineers contracted to work with the city on the project.

"We need to consider size and location and do the same as we have for the rest of the city," he said.

Peterkin proposed the city charge the residents a Systems Development Charge (SDC) of $3,000, which he said is more comparable to what other residents have paid to connect to the sewer system. Peterkin said the residents should then have the choice to use the existing septic or to connect to the sewer system.

Peterkin argued the city did not initially inform the Buck Run developer that the property owners would have to hook up a sewer.

"If the city had imposed the condition you have to hook up a sewer, they could have made smaller lots and charged more money, or worked with the city," Peterkin said.

If the council decides to move forward with the reimbursement district, the city will establish a written resolution, which could be approved no earlier than September 25.