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Home My WebLink AboutCATT Letter CoAler CmMeCloes Assodafioe of Dame Tahoe January 2, 2003. To: TDPUD Board of Directors From: The Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe Re: Construction Water Fee CATT appreciates the Board's decision last meeting to table the construction water fee item until the January 2 meeting. The proposed $20 per month fee would appear to be an adequate dollar amount, compared to the exorbitant residential monthly fee. However, based on other differences between the normal residential customer and the house under construction we feel the district should continue to offer water during the construction process at no charge. In the brief discussion at the last meeting, it was agreed that the construction process does have a need for water, both in use and as potential fire protection. It was also stated by Mr. Maas and agreed that water really doesn't have a cost, but the plumbing and infrastructure to get the water to the property is the real cost. At the start of the construction process the homeowner, via the contractor. pays $1.56/sgr.ft, facility fee and $1020 connection fee to the district. Before the first drop of water is available, the construction process pays roughly $6 — 7,000 dollars of the District's plumbing. We feel that amount should cover the cost of water during the construction period. In fact, based on that amount of expenditure, an argument can almost be made that the construction industry owns the plumbing and the district should lease back from us for the use of the lines to deliver the water. There is also the issue of seasonal building periods in Truckee that change the use and potential use of water. Many times a contractor will make hook ups in the fall and not frame or begin construction process until the spring. After paying $7000 for plumbing, it would not be ethical to then charge this person a monthly fee for free water on a dormant lot, buried in snow. Please consider keeping the current policy of allowing the construction process to be alleviated from monthly water fee.