A standoff over water and sewer connection fees for the new El Paso County detox facility ended Tuesday when the Colorado Springs City Council approved a quid pro quo deal with the county.

The deal clears the way for construction of a controversial project that has encountered several hurdles, including funding problems and the utilities roadblock.

The first setback occurred in April, when city-owned Colorado Springs Utilities wanted to charge the county $234,150 to hook up water and sewer service to the facility and a second building that Sheriff Terry Maketa is erecting to handle jail overcrowding. The new buildings are next to the Criminal Justice Center on East Las Vegas Street.

The county balked at paying the fees and, for the past two months, officials have haggled over an agreement to trade services without cash changing hands.

The agreement, which county commissioners are expected to approve Thursday, calls for the city to receive $234,150 worth of services associated with the city’s Southern Delivery System water pipeline.

The line, to bring water from Pueblo Reservoir, will run in the vicinity of Marksheffel Road. The county agreed to provide Utilities processing and review fees, land-use permits, damage and maintenance fees, land and rights of way for construction and operation equal to the detox water and sewer hookups.

County Administrator Jeff Greene said the county didn’t agree to grant an easement for the pipeline because, if it’s installed beneath Marksheffel Road, the county could get stuck with moving costs should the road ever need to be upgraded.

“I don’t want to incur future liability for the county,” he said.

“CSU is going to be paid back because they can’t waive the fees,” Greene said, citing Utilities’ policies.

Greene said construction is expected to proceed quickly after a building permit was issued recently on the strength of the pending agreement.

Maketa said the facility should open on Oct. 26, within the original timeline. Excavators will bring equipment onto the site today, he said.

Al Uhalt walks away from his AVI Husky plane that Uhalt landed in a field near Fountain Valley School after it ran out of fuel while trying to land at the Colorado Springs Airport Thursday, May 28, 2009. Photo by Christian Murdock, The Gazette