Agenda - 02-15-2005-7b - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 15, 2005 Action Age ~a Item No. SUBJECT: OWASA Presentation on its Mitigation Lands and Utility Extension Reimbursement Policy DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 12/20/04 Letter to County OWASA INFORMATION CONTACT: Representatives Paul Thames, ext 2303 OWASA Abstract, 6/10!04 -Chapel Hill Request to Implement TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Reimbursement Policy Hillsborough 732-8181 OWASA Abstract, Proposal to Allow Chapel Hill 968-4501 Hunting on OWASA's 500-acre Durham 688-7331 "Wildlife Mitigation" Tract Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To provide the BOCC with information and opportunity for discussion on issues - use of Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) wildlife mitigation lands and OWASA utility extension reimbursement policy -raised by the Board by means of a letter from the Chair to OWASA. BACKGROUND: In a December 20, 2004 letter to Mark Marcoplos and Bernadette Pelissier, Orange County s representatives on the OWASA Board of Directors, Chair Moses Carey requested that the County representatives make a report on OWASA activities and issues at one of the BOCC's February 2005 meetings. Commissioner Carey specifically asked that Mr. Marcoplos and Ms. Pelissier be prepared to discuss "a reconsideration of OWASA's policy for reimbursement of public entities that pay to extend water and sewer lines, as has been requested by Chapel Hill" and "possible alternatives for managing OWASA's mitigation lands in Bingham Township". Reimbursement Policy - OWASA, until 1999, had a reimbursement policy that essentially provided for a reimbursement over aten-year period to an applicant/developerfnr the incremental costs of upsizing water and sewer lines (to a size larger that the industry standard 8" line) necessary to provide for additional and orderly development of the utility systems. The source of funding for these reimbursements was front footage (fronting on the utility line[s]) and acreage assessment fees applied to other utility customers who connected to the utility systems extended and financed by the applicant /developer. This policy did not allow the applicant/developer to recover any costs for the minimally sized 8" water or sewer line extensions. In 1999, OWASA stopped calculating assessment fees based on acreage and front footage and began basing its fees on home size (square footage) or water meter size (non-residential use).