Residents press council on West Vienna delinquencies as County plans takeover of sanitary district

Resident Jerome Harris told the Council that the current agreement addressing unpaid water and sewer accounts appears to cover only properties in West Vienna and said he believes all residents should be treated equally; he suggested the county place liens on properties with unpaid balances after 12 months. In response Interim County Manager Jeff Powell said the county decided to assume control of the Dorchester County Sanitary District, Inc. and will establish a new county department, expected to be active in July 2024, which Powell said will provide a path to resolve West Vienna service and delinquency issues.

Why it matters: The Sanitary District takeover transfers responsibility for local sewer operations and billing from the independent Sanitary entity to Dorchester County, which can change enforcement, billing and connection policies for affected neighborhoods. Residents and council members discussed annexation of West Vienna into the Town of Vienna as an alternative pathway.

Details from the discussion: Harris reiterated concerns he previously raised about the lack of public input when the Town of Vienna approved the agreement the resident referenced. County Attorney Charles MacLeod noted the county'9s policy will need updating as the county assumes operational control. Councilman Mike Detmer and others said the newly created division should provide an administrative avenue to address outstanding service and billing disputes; annexation was noted as another option. During public comments resident Phil Cecil separately asked the Council to compel the Sanitary District to install sewer pipe to his property at 203 Mimosa Drive to allow construction of a new home, saying he has sought the connection since Sept. 19, 2022; staff said infrastructure in that subdivision remains incomplete and that the planned county takeover makes the county the appropriate body to pursue a resolution.

What the meeting did not do: The Council discussed the takeover and acknowledged future actions but did not adopt a specific enforcement policy for delinquencies or a schedule to complete construction of outstanding infrastructure; no formal vote on liens or annexation was taken at this meeting.

Next steps: County staff said the new county department is expected to be active in July 2024 and will be the entity to pursue administrative remedies and infrastructure completion.