The privilege fee policy the Winchester Municipal Utilities spent so long developing has seen it’s first application.
The WMU Commission approved a preliminary application for a privilege fee agreement, or PFA, from Westside Improvements LLC during the board’s regular meeting Thursday night.
The PFA will apply to about 556.5 acres in the Strodes Creek, Basin B watershed.
The proposal consists of about 3,097 feet of 18-inch and 15-inch pipe, and the submittal has 18 potential participating owners.
Those numbers could change as the approval now allows Westside Improvements and WMU to begin the development of the watershed.
Commission Vice Chairman Paul Rodgers asked that both sides reach an accord on the exact equation used to determine later participating ownership prior to the final agreement.
“I’d like to have that settled now, since it’s central to the whole thing,” he said. “Have the accountants certify that and have it be incorporated into the agreement.”
The preliminary approval allows Westside Improvements to get a final list of the first participating owners and begin the bid process.
“It allows us to go to the expense of completing the plan and getting construction plans complete so we can get a hard bid to bring back that says this is the final cost,” Troy Thompson of Westside Improvements said.
The estimated cost of the project is $450,000.
In other business, the board also:
— Approved the purchase of a new crew truck.
— Approved pay requests for six projects, including the painting of fire hydrants in the industrial park and downtown Winchester.
— Discussed the potential of entering into an agreement with the Commonwealth for providing services to Fort Boonesborough State Park.
Contact Casey Castle at ccastle@winchestersun.com.
