CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to Seattle Public Utilities; revising, consolidating, and enacting provisions related to system development charges for water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure; adding a new Subtitle VI to Title 21 of the Seattle Municipal Code; adding a new Chapter 21.65 to the subtitle; adding a new Section 21.65.010 to the Seattle Municipal Code; relocating Sections 21.04.105, 21.04.115, and 21.04.125 of the Seattle Municipal Code into the chapter and further amending the sections; and amending Section 21.04.465 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, RCW 35.92.025 authorizes a municipal utility to require charges so impacts from development bear their equitable share of the cost of the water, sewer, or drainage system, in addition to fees charged for establishing the installation of pipes, meters, and appurtenances to the system; and
WHEREAS, development may contribute to the distribution or collection system in one of several ways, e.g., by installing a standard water, sewer, or drainage main or paying a cash contribution equal to their equitable share of the cost of the system to Seattle Public Utilities; and
WHEREAS, development is not currently required to pay a drainage or sewer system development charge, and thus development does not bear its equitable share of the cost of the system; and
WHEREAS, Seattle has historically had the lowest development charges in the region, leading to inequities among development projects, with a small portion of property owners paying a large share of system expansion through the construction of mainline extensions; and
WHEREAS, Seattle Public Utilities is revaluing the system to rebalance how much properties are asked to contribute, as part of its effort to expand its water and sewerage system to accommodate the population growth the city has experienced and will continue to experience; and
WHEREAS, this legislation is p...
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