Marysville to keep taps open to rural areas

Published 9:00 pm Monday, July 9, 2001

By Theresa Goffredo

Herald Writer

MARYSVILLE — If you live in the rural parts of Marysville but wish to hook up to city services you still can.

In a majority vote, Marysville City Council members Monday night decided to keep the current system of providing city water and sewer service to homes and businesses outside of the city limits.

Council members Mike Leighan, John Soriano, Donna Pedersen, Jim Brennick and Shirley Bartholomew voted in favor of extending utility services outside the city limits. Councilwomen NormaJean Dierck and Suzanne Smith voted against.

Those two council members have been trying to change the current system, wanting to add a requirement that any properties outside the city first must be annexed into the city before city utility services can be extended. Dierck and Smith’s exception to this rule was for government facilities, such as schools.

Dierck has said during previous discussions on the topic that requiring annexation before allowing service would bring more money into the city coffers because the city could collect school and park mitigation fees.

She has said that the city has so far lost about $700,000 in park mitigation fees by not requiring annexation prior to allowing hook-ups outside Marysville’s boundaries.

But Councilman Leighan said Monday that the city had a long-standing policy — since 1982 — that allows utility service to the unannexed areas surrounding Marysville known as the rural utility service area.

Leighan also believes that the city still has relatively low rates compared with other cities and can continue to keep costs down by allowing more people to pay into the system.

Leighan made the motion to continue servicing areas outside Marysville’s boundaries. His motion included a caveat that the current council cannot bring up the utility service discussion again.

You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097

or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.