Cowlitz County commissioners on Tuesday (Oct. 13) will vote on turning over their water and sewer utility systems northwest of Castle Rock to the city.

The move will streamline development in the area but also will raise customer’s bills unless they eventually annex into the city limits, city and county officials said.

The city approved taking over the county utility in August, and county staff is recommending commissioners approve the transfer as well.

The transfer of the “West Castle Rock Utility” has been planned since the 1980s, when the city and county signed a growth management agreement. Development in the area north of Four Corners took longer than expected, but officials from both governments said it makes sense to complete the process due to proposed developments in the area. The land in question includes Mosier Road and Green Acres near the high school.

With just one government-run utility serving the area, developers will no longer have to seek approval from both the county and city for projects within the growth boundary, Ken Stone, the county’s asset management director, said this summer.

The transfer would cause no change in service, though bills would now come from the city instead of the county. The city already runs the water and sewer service through a joint agreement with the county.

The county will pay the city $30,000 to take over the utility, the amount left in the county utility’s reserves fund.

The majority of residents now served by the county utility would pay more for service than they do now. That’s because the city charges non-city customers 50 percent more than in-city customers.

However, the city has agreed to up to a year’s grace period to allow the county customers to annex into the city for cheaper rates.

Here’s how it would work for Green Acres residents using 600 cubic feet of water a month: They now pay $128.27. If they annex into the city within a year they’d pay $127.65. If they don’t annex, the bill goes up to $184.28 after the grace period.

To be annexed into the city, property must touch city limits, so residents may need to convince their neighbors before joining the city. That’s part of the reason the city is giving a six-month grace period to county residents, with the possibility of an additional six-month extension.

The commissioners meet at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the county Administration Building, 207 Fourth Ave. North, Kelso.