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49 <br />~iEViORANDL~:VI <br />TO: County Commissioners <br />COPIES: John Link, County Manager <br />Geof Gledhill, County Attorney <br />FROM: Paul Thames, PE, County Engineer <br />DATE: August 10, 2000 <br />SUBJECT: Issues related to providing sewer service to the proposed Richmond Hills <br />development and to the management, operation and ultimate expansion of the <br />Efland sewer system. <br />As per the request of the BOCC and the County Manager, the following additional information is <br />submitted to assist the BOCC in its deliberations on the range of interconnected issues <br />associated with providing sewer service to the proposed Richmond Hills subdivision. <br />Habitat For Humanity has come before the BOCC to request Boazd's approval, under its <br />subdivision plan approval powers and responsibilities, for the Richmond Hills subdivision. <br />Furthermore, Habitat has requested that the Boazd, under its powers and responsibilities as the <br />owner of the Efland sewer system, extend sewer service from the Efland system to the proposed <br />subdivision. Habitat has also requested that Boazd, in its role as partner to Habitat in providing <br />affordable housing to low and moderate income households, assist in reducing the costs of home <br />ownership -including sewer utility service costs - to its clientele. <br />County administration and staff evaluation of the specific's of Habitat's proposal for extending <br />sewer service has culminated in a divergence of opinion between the administration/staffnnd <br />Habitat as to the system design or the technology that would be best utilized to provide sewer <br />service to Richmond Hills. The BOCC's review of administration/staff recommendations and <br />Habitat's requests for the Boazd's approval have accentuated concerns about a number of <br />interrelated and lazger policy issues including: a) the County's ultimate role in providing and <br />managing utility service in the Efland corridor; b) the relationship between the availability of <br />utilities and sewer-dependent development patterns in the Efland area; c) the potential interplay <br />between County utility and affordable housing policies and goals. <br />At the August 15~' meeting of the BOCC, the Boazd is to deal with Habitat's immediate concern, <br />which is Board approval of the Richmond Hills subdivision preliminary plan and authorization <br />to extend sewer service. In its deliberative process, it may be helpful for the Boazd to consider <br />the sewer system design/technology issues applicable to the extension of sewer service to the <br />Richmond Hills subdivision as separate from affordable housing issues and general long term <br />utility and development concerns. <br />