MCES Sewer Availability Charge SAC Recommendations

Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) has relead the key recommendations made by the Reserve Capacity/Sewer Availability Charge (SAC) Task Force (including SAC criteria changes to Restaurant Criteria and Growth Cost legislation). MCES is proposing to make specific changes to the calculation SAC changes.

Due to declining SAC revenues and some controversy about how to keep the SAC program financially viable, a Task Force of stakeholders was appointed and asked to review and propose changes to SAC related policies and procedures. The following are some of the recommendations of the Reserve Capacity/Sewer Availability Charge Task Force:

• Minnesota Statutes Section 473.517, Subdivision 3, should be amended to clearly state that the capital costs to provide additional capacity in the regional wastewater system should be paid by Sewer Availability Charges, based on the principle that growth should pay for growth. If the statute is not so amended during the 2011-2012 Legislature, the Council should adopt a reserve capacity determination method that reasonably matches the intent of Recommendation For 2011, the Council should use its current reserve capacity determination method.
• A new charge for the temporary rental of capacity should be developed in lieu of charging SAC for permanent capacity.
• SAC for restaurants should be based on a single criterion (based on technical analysis, set at 10 seats per SAC regardless of the restaurant business model).
• SAC should be based on the square footage for all daycare determinations, but the square footage per SAC should be increased to reflect the average reduction in demand due to state licensing being less than the square footage implies.
  

Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) will conduct a public meeting to provide information and receive public comment on the key recommendations made by the Reserve Capacity/Sewer Availability Charge (SAC) Task Force on October 12, 2010.

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