County to consider extending Manchester sewer lines

Kitsap County will soon decide whether the 32 residents and landowners on Manchester’s Miracle Mile will be connecting their pipes to the Manchester Wastewater Treatment Facility for the bargain price of $18,000 a pop.

The Manchester Community Council’s Sewer Committee recently formed a Utility Local Improvement District (ULID) after the recurring septic problems reported by some Manchester residents were brought to the council’s attention several months ago.

A ULID can be formed in two ways, either by the petition method or through a commissioners’ “resolution of intent to form,” which often ends up going through the aforementioned petition step.

After deciding the boundaries of the ULID, 51 percent of property owners must approve of the proposal.

Ron Rada, chair of the council’s Sewer Committee, said Wednesday the ULID for sewer extension southward along Miracle Mile had received 55 percent affirmative support and there were still more individuals to contact.

“There were 32 parcels involved,” Rada said. “We are at 55 percent and we still have three folks that I’m trying to locate.”

Rada said if all three parcel owners are in support of the sewer extension, the ULID will have a 60-percent approval rate.

Rada said he intended to turn the application in to the county on Friday.

According to Rick Gagnon, a senior program manager for the Kitsap County Public Works Wastewater Division, the signatures indicating approval of the ULID will have to be checked against the signatures registered with the county.

County staff will then prepare a “resolution of intent to form,” to go before the county commissioners, and notify the public of a hearing, during which those not in support of the ULID can protest.

“If you get protests from owners of 40 percent of the area, the ULID is automatically rejected,” Gagnon said.

If the resolution is approved, the sewer extension moves to the physical planning phase.

“That’s when we start the design process,” said Paul Gilligan, regional manager of RH2 Engineering. Gilligan is currently helping the Sewer Committee with the ULID process.

“Once we get through with that, we’ll advertise (for construction bids) and begin construction,” Gilligan said.

Gilligan said after the individual residences are connected to the main sewer, landowners must “decommission and demolish” their septic systems.

“They indicated they had a nine- to 12-month time frame for completion,” Rada said.

According to Rada, the current projected cost for each of the landowners in the proposed ULID is approximately $18,000, which includes $46 per foot of road repair).

“That’s the latest figure,” Rada said.

Rada said no grant monies have yet been found that might help pay for the extension. He noted, however, that the committee is currently pursuing the formation of another ULID that extends to Mile Hill Drive, encompassing most of the Puget Drive, Colchester and Yukon Harbor area — approximately another 150 parcels.

“The community plan tells the Manchester Community Council to be active in at least encouraging expansion of the sewer system,” Rada said. “That’s the focus of the committee. It’s more of an educational process on how to go about getting the LID’s formed.”

For more information on how ULID’s are formed visit www.mrsc.org.

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