Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the cost to connect to the County's sewer system (CSA)?
The City of Crescent City charges a sewer capacity charge for each ESFC (equivalent single-family connection). Interested parties are responsible for contacting the City of Crescent City, 707-464-9506, to determine the fee.
Mitigation fees are required to connect to the County's sewer system if a connection is not within the assessed boundaries of the CSA. Mitigation fees are as follows:
Assessment District 1 (Bertsch Ocean View) = $125.00 per ESFC
Assessment District 2 (Northcrest) = $180.00 per ESFC
Assessment District 3 (Bertsch Ocean View and Northcrest) = $1,215.00 per ESFC
A development fee is required for each ESFC discharging into the Pebble Beach Drive Lift Station (Lift Station 5). The fee is adjusted each fiscal year based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Below is the method to calculate the fee per each ESFC:
January 1 to June 30: $1,424.00 x ((Two Years Previous Annual CPI-W) / 134.3)
July 1 to December 31: $1,424.00 x ((One Year Previous Annual CPI-W) / 134.3)
Additional costs include permitting fees, plan check fees, inspection fees, bonding, and construction of sewer lines and laterals. These costs are project dependent. Permitting, plan check, and inspection fees are included in the Engineering and Surveying Division's fee schedule.
2. Who maintains lateral sewers (a.k.a. sewer laterals)?
Lateral sewers extend from the property line to the sewer main and are maintained by the owner of the property served. Refer to County Code 15.20.010 and Resolution 78-032 (A Resolution Establishing Sewer Area Design Standards).
3. What is the cost to connect to public water?
The County of Del Norte does not provide public water. The City of Crescent City, 707-464-9506, and several Community Services Districts (CSD) provide public water in Del Norte County. The Engineering and Surveying Division, 707-464-7229, is usually able to determine a water service provider given a specific project location. The Elections Clerk in the Clerk/Recorder Office, 707-465-0383, should be able to provide the contact information for CSD board members if a general phone number is unavailable.
Additional costs include permitting fees, plan check fees, inspection fees, bonding, and construction of water lines and services. These costs are project dependent. Permitting, plan check, and inspection fees are included in the Engineering and Surveying Division's fee schedule.
4. Who maintains private or non-County maintained roads?
Property owners along private or non-County maintained roads are responsible for the maintenance of private or non-County maintained roads. Some private or non-County maintained roads have established road maintenance agreements. The Road Division does not maintain private or non-County maintained roads. California Civil Code §845 defines maintenance responsibility for private easements and rights-of-way.
5. Why aren’t there street lights along County maintained roads?
The County Road Fund rarely installs street lights as part of the County maintained road system. There are approximately 14 streets lights that are maintained by the Road Division as part of the County maintained road system. Street lights are installed to reduce traffic collisions at locations with a history of a high rate of collisions resulting from poor visibility.
Streetlights are not always desired by all members of the community as some community members prefer dark skies for substantiated reasons and find street lights and other exterior lighting pollutes the environment significantly affecting their quality of life. Light pollution is known to affects people and animals in different ways. A quick search of the web should produce several examples.
Within the Del Norte region there are several locations with street lights on or near the County maintained road system. In the Smith River area street lights are part of a street lighting district and are owned and maintained by the Smith River Community Services District. Street lights along Indian Road in Smith River are owned and maintained by the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation. In the City of Crescent City street lights are owned and maintained by the City’s General Fund. Street lights along Humboldt Road in Crescent City are owned and maintained by the Elk Valley Rancheria. Street lights along Klamath Boulevard in Klamath are owned and maintained by the Yurok Tribe.
Comprehensive street lighting along the County maintained road system likely would require the establishment of a street lighting district and the expense of installation and maintenance being paid by property owners as an assessment on their tax bill. Alternatively, the County General Fund could fund the installation and maintenance of street lights along the County maintained road system. However, the County General Fund likely does not have capacity to absorb the cost associated with installation and maintenance of street lights.
6. Why aren’t there traffic calming devices (e.g. speed tables, humps, bumps, lumps, etc.) on County maintained roads or within County rights-of-way?
It is the policy of the Community Development Department that these types of traffic calming devices are not installed on County maintained roadways or within County rights-of-way. Traffic calming devices that physically impede access routinely result in unnecessary wear and tear on vehicles, delay emergency response times, are challenging to cross with the County’s street sweeper, are unable to be repaired with existing County owned maintenance equipment, and intensify signage, striping, and drainage maintenance. In addition, the 2022 California Fire Code – Section 503.4.1 prohibits traffic calming devices unless approved by the fire code official.
