Developer Raises Stink Over Sewer Fees

IRVINE, CA-A locally based land developer has raised a stink over fees associated with Orange County’s sewer system. The company, Crow Winthrop Development, has filed a petition for writ of mandate in state Superior Court, as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the Orange County Sanitation District. The petition asks that Orange County residents be allowed to vote on fees that the sanitation district charges to pay for its sewer system, in accordance with Proposition 128. The sanitation district currently charges its connection fees based on districtwide estimates, instead of measuring each property’s actual sewer use. Crow Winthrop has said the district should either base the charges on actual use or else they should be considered a tax, in which case residents should be allowed to vote on it. The sanitation district has countered that the fees were drawn up properly and in accordance with all the set requirements.