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Commissioner Jacobs' suggestion. OWASA's fee structure is based on the square-footage of houses that <br />are being served. He said that OWASA did an extensive analysis of homes built within the last three <br />years and determined that there is a strong correlation between water usage and home size. He asked <br />that the Board approve an analysis of Efland. <br />Commissioner Brown asked if there were fire hydrants in Efland. <br />Paul Thames said that there are one or two fire hydrants, but not in any of the neighborhoods. <br />Commissioner Carey asked if the acreage fee would be applied to each acre and Paul Thames <br />said yes. He asked if there is currently a $600 availability fee. <br />Paul Thames explained that the $600 pays for the section that connects the property to the <br />main. Paul Thames gave an overview of the impact of the fees. <br />In answer to a question from Commissioner Brown, Paul Thames said that his assumption <br />is that the fee goes with the property. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to a map that was shown of the Efland downtown <br />area. He noted that most of the lots were very small. He asked how this fee would impact these small <br />lots. <br />Paul Thames said that he is assuming that this particular area is where people have signed up <br />for sewer service and have not yet received it. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked if a time limit could be legally set from the time sewer services <br />were made available for the people who were grandfathered in, and if they did not hook up within a period <br />of time that they would be treated like anyone else signing up for the first time. <br />Geoffrey Gledhill said that the ordinance amendments address this kind of situation. There <br />were 212 people in the original project. If any of these 212 did not connect because sewer was not <br />available then they will be grandfathered in. The 212 customers would have 30 days to connect from the <br />date of notification that sewer services are available. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked if the $600 includes any plumbing that is needed to hook up the <br />individual house. <br />Paul Thames said that there would be an additional cost for the homeowner for plumbing. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that he would like to have an Efland-specific study by the first of the <br />year so it can be determined if the fees are going to be regressive as they relate to acreage fees. If the <br />County is giving people a 30-day period and telling them that they are going to have to incur an additional <br />cost in order to get the benefit, he thinks it is precipitous to only give them 30 days. He would like to see <br />some kind of reasonable period developed for citizens to hook up, as part of the study, and a limit beyond <br />where they cannot hook up. He asked that the Board agree that this be as equitable as possible, in terms <br />of the time period and the rates. <br />Commissioner Carey asked what the availability fee was at the time the County built the first <br />phase and indicated to those people that they would be grandfathered in. <br />Paul Thames said that the County's fee was $600 and the Town of Hillsborough's fee was also <br />$600. <br />Commissioner Carey said that maybe there could be a time period that is fairly short and if the <br />person does not hook up that they have to pay the current fee. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis noted that the County has been losing money since the Efland sewer <br />line was constructed. This was precipitated by the need for sewer at the Efland-Cheeks Elementary <br />School. He feels that there is a responsibility to protect the County's interest. He said that the fee should <br />not be regressive to the original 212 people who originally signed up for this service. <br />Commissioner Brown clarified that the Board would adopt this recommendation this evening <br />and that Paul Thames would come back with additional information and responses to suggestions <br />received tonight and a time table in terms of being notified to connect. The staff will present some options <br />for the Board's consideration. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Brown, seconded by Commissioner Carey to close the <br />public hearing and adopt the Manager's recommendation to approve the resolution amending rules and <br />regulations for the operation of a sewer collection treatment system to serve the Efland area of Orange <br />County. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS