AnonymousBy an edhat reader
I’m required to replace my sewer lateral under the city SLIP program, which I will do. The permit will cost $1,719.94 plus an “administration” fee of $150, a total of $1,869.94. This seems like a lot in that the city does no actual work, does anyone that has experience with the SLIP program know if this is more or less the normal amount for a permit?
The property is on W Valerio between State and Castillo. This amount of course does not include the cost of the work which varies wildly from company to company but is not cheap no matter who does the work.
Just a short few years when they videoed all the lines they gave us a special discount on the permit. We jumped on it even though they lied about our wye being broken since we had to get a new line in order to replace our D/W. I can check the difference if you like.
Fees of any kind are established by public servants that will benefit directly from them. Isn’t that a cool job?
The amount does not seem to me to be unreasonable. People complain that the city is irresponsible but when they try to allocate costs to the users they complain. If they raise taxes so that all will share the cost people complain more. These drain/sewer problems are reality. It costs money to repair the lines.
Just think of your permit fee going to a good cause like the city truck that just got stolen-And oh yeah the $1900 inspection fee for that lateral connection tea if anything goes wrong with it in the future after you pay that fee to the city official you have no recourse now do you feel better
Yes this was(for us) and is very alarming! SB taxes are very high and this is precisely the kind of engineering/health & safety issue that our tax dollars should cover. It is as if the city has used Heal The Ocean against the residents and taxpayers. Not all of us are ready to fork $5k out of the blue and with hefty monthly penalties…as I stated, it was a nightmare.
I’ve never understood how the city has the legal authority to enter your property without permission. Sending a video camera into a private sewer lateral is no different than sending a camera into an open window. They admit it’s your property because you must pay the repair cost. Seems like trespassing to me.
We must pay for all of those six-figure city staff salaries somehow.