Sewer fees to rise 30 percent; other town fees may increase

Sewer connection fees are going up 30 percent by January, and other town fees may rise soon, including monthly sewer user fees, after-school fees, liquor licenses and annexation fees.

The Sahuarita Town Council Monday approved the sewer connection fees by a 7-0 vote. The fees will rise by 22 percent on Oct. 1 and another 8 percent on Jan. 1, meaning average fees for new homes would rise to $4,077.06 from the current $3,083.60 per home.

The council also approved by a 7-0 vote a conditional use permit for a self-storage business at 18240 S. La Canada Drive despite objections from some tenants of the mobile home park currently on the site.

Tenant Laverne Mammini said within the past year she has invested her life savings, more than $23,000, into renovating a mobile home there and told the council “I’m sunk” if the storage business is approved.

Some tenant and neighbors objected and others said they support the storage business, including Phil Biddle of Outback Nursery.

Property owner Bob Childs said he is helping tenants seek state funds to move their mobile homes from the site and expects to move quickly on developing the storage business.

Vice Mayor Phillip Conklin noted the park would not be economically viable unless rents were doubled.

In other action:

The council approved adoption of the 2006 international building codes, but delayed until July 1, 2008 one provision placing design restrictions on homes less than five feet from property lines.

The delay was approved after Conklin said a Jan. 1, 2008 implementation would economically hurt Quail Creek. Conklin had sought a 2009 effective date, but lost on a 2-to-5 vote.

The council approved the 102-acre Twin Buttes Annexation, involving land some distance west of La Canada Drive and just north of Twin Buttes Road.

The council approved candidates for various commissions and delayed for 30 days action on a proposed recommendation to the state for a liquor license for the Green Valley Lanes bowling alley after council member Marty Moreno said the application was inaccurate and incomplete.

After Jan. 1, town staff would like more sewer hook-up fee increases for future homebuyers, either after the Pima County Wastewater Management Department raises its connection fees, or if Rancho Sahuarita developer Bob Sharpe agrees to amend the town connection fee limit, which is now set at the county fee amount.

Sharpe said he is studying a town proposal to waive the limit.

Town Manager Jim Stahle said he would like to see a waiver or amendment, perhaps to 125 percent of the county fee amount, but so far has not gotten a response from Sharpe after several weeks.

Next to increase may be monthly user fees for current sewer customers, who are in Rancho Sahuarita and Rancho Resort.

Town Finance Director A.C. Marriotti said the town needs to raise those fees to recover costs of operating the wastewater plant, and plans to bring the Town Council a study of operating costs with recommended rate increases as soon as the study is complete.

In the past, town monthly rates were limited to the county rate, but Sharpe has waived that.

And other fees may rise on Jan. 1, as Stahle has directed staff to conduct studies of the costs of providing services and the fees they charge for those services and warned there may be steep increases ahead.

“I asked all department heads to review fees and make suggestions to adjust fees to cover the cost of service. My target is by the end of November to have a package of fee scheduled amendments for Jan. 1, 2008.

“We’ll warn you, there are a number of fee increases that could be pretty substantial—we haven’t done a comprehensive review in a long time,” Stahle said.

Assistant Town Manager Larry Dobrosky said that it already appears that liquor license fees, annexation fees and Anamax Park after-school program fees are candidates for big raises.

The after-school program costs have been studied already and are heavily subsidized, even after a recent raise.

pfranchine@sahuaritasun.com | 547-9738