Wilsonville Changing How Fees are Collected from Utilities

As the city of Wilsonville says, it's transportation network is extremely complex. As the city has grown, it has acquired rights-of-way over which they have built streets and roads, sidewalks, bikeways, pedestrian paths, street lights, street trees, public art, signage, bus shelters, and signalized intersections; and under which are located the majority of public and private utility services, such as electricity, gas, cable, fiber, water, sewer, and storm sewer; and connected to and made a part are the City’s bridges and crossings over railroad tracks.

And the city - which has grown from 1,00o people when it was incorporated in 1968 to more than 22,000 now - continues to grow. In various stages of planning are nearly 500 acres of new housing - all of which will be connected to the transportation network.

This leads to all sorts of issues including how to manage the right of ways and how much to charge utilities who make use the rights-of-way.

The council has tentatively approved changes to city code governing how the fees are determined for use of rights-of-ways for utilities may or may not use for Wilsonville customers.

For example, four miles of right-of-way in Wilsonville will be used for a 66-inch diameter water pipeline being built that will pass through Wilsonville but be used to provide water to customers in the City of Hillsboro and the Tualatin Valley Water District.

The changes will again be considered - and likely approved - at the council's meeting on December 19th.