By Stephen Floyd
The City of Mount Angel is removing barriers to sewer lateral repair grants in the hopes that more residents will apply for assistance.
During the Nov. 6 meeting of the Mount Angel City Council, amendments were made to the Sewer Lateral Replacement or Repair Assistance Program that took effect immediately.
The city started the program in 2012, offering to reimburse up to $2,000 to qualifying homeowners for the repair or replacement of leaking sewer laterals. The purpose was to incentivize more people to correct leaking laterals, often identified in annual smoke tests, and reduce the amount of water infiltration into the sewer system.
Since that time, only eight households have participated in the program, according to a staff report to the council dated Oct. 9. The report offered suggestions on how to potentially broaden the program’s impact.
One potential barrier identified by staff was the fact that reimbursement was limited to work on laterals within a public right-of-way.
To meet this requirement, the location of a right-of-way had to first be determined by a surveyor, and proof that the lateral break occurred within the right-of-way had to be submitted by the applicant. If work on one lateral was being performed both in the right-of-way and on private property, contractors would have to calculate separate costs for each section.
The staff report said the time and effort to meet this requirement was not justified by the possibility of up to $2,000 reimbursement, especially if a lateral was not functioning and timely repairs were needed. It recommended removing this provision altogether.
They also recommended empowering the city manager to set rules and guidelines for the program including how funding is to be allocated and the proportion of costs to be reimbursed. The council will retain the right to set specific limitations on qualifications and reimbursements, and to determine how much total funding will be set aside for the program in the annual budget.
The council approved a resolution adopting staff recommendations, which took effect upon passage.
The program is limited to single-family residential properties and excludes costs for obtaining utility access easements, and will remain available as funding allows.
Program applications are available at ci.mt-angel.or.us through the “Forms and Documents” link.
For additional information contact Administrative Services Director Colby Kemp at 503-845-9291 or ckemp@
ci.mt-angel.or.us.
