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12 <br />Connection Costs -Also Covered by the Assistance Program: <br />Connection costs to public water/sewer services are an additional expense associated with <br />an assessment function. In order to be served, the property owner/household must decide <br />to connect to the service. Connection costs typically include service laterals from the <br />home to the water/sewer, and if needed, changes to plumbing under the house to connect <br />to the service lateral, and taking an old.septic system out of service. Actual connection <br />costs would depend upon the scope or work and authorized contractor. The property <br />owner/household would decide when to connect to the service, assuming the septic <br />system in place meets health code requirements to remain in use. The BOCC - as in the <br />case with OWASA -has no current requirement to connect to public sewer if a septic <br />system is performing properly. <br />Staff recommends that any option the BOCC chooses for an assessment relief assistance <br />program for income eligible property owners/households also include grant assistance for <br />actual costs of connection. The connection assistance program would again be modeled <br />after Option 2 (and the Rogers Road Waterline Connection Project), in that applicants <br />with income less than 80 percent of the median would have all connection costs paid by <br />the County; applicants with income above 80 to 100 percent of the median would have <br />half the connection costs paid by the County. <br />Conclusion: <br />These three policy options have been developed to inform and engage BOCC thought and <br />deliberation. It should not be seen as an exhaustive list of potential options or possible <br />permutations. <br />Staff looks forward to BOCC review and discussion, followed by specific feedback and <br />guidance on next steps, in a focused work session setting. <br />