City Council Proposes Fee Increases for Homeowners, Developers

Aberdeen City Council introduced an ordinance Monday that calls for amending how much the city charges homeowners and developers for connecting to water and sewer systems.

A public hearing will be held on the proposed ordinance March 28.

The legislation proposes increasing the water area connection charge per residential unit to $10,500, a 25 percent increase from the current charge of $8,400.

The sanitary sewer area connection charge per residential unit is proposed at $5,400, a $600 decrease from the current $6,000 charge.

The legislation also calls for increasing annexation fees to a minimum of $1,000.

According to City Manager Doug Miller, the current minimum annexation fees are $250 for one acre or less, $500 for one to 10 acres, $500 plus $10 per acre for any development of more than 10 acres.

“For all of the above, the city also can recoup related legal fees,” Miller said

The proposed ordinance still includes a $1 bicycle registration fee that is in the current fee schedule law, but Miller expects it to be removed.

“This is a relic in the current fee structure,” Miller said. “We don’t register bikes anymore and I imagine that this and any other obsolete fee will be amended out.”

In other business:

The city honored the Boys and Girls Club of Harford County’s Aberdeen branch by in a proclamation declaring March 20-26 Boys and Girls Club week.

The city also declared March 22-26 American Diabetes Week.