Last week, the town of Monument repealed and readopted much of its water code, which tells residents and businesses how to connect and pay for water services.

The changes help bring the town’s code up to date with its home-rule charter, said Finance Director Jennifer Phillips. The charter was approved by Monument voters in 2022.

One of the major changes requires water accounts to be registered under the name of a property’s owner, not a renter. Phillips said the current rules allow a renter to register for an account, which means records can change frequently for the town.

“From a labor standpoint and an efficiency standpoint, it’s a lost cause for us,” she said. The town’s water fees and rates will stay the same, pending a study.

Developers hoping to build in the town will also have a few new rules.

The new code increases the “tap” or water connection fee change from 9% to 20%. If the city increases the fee within 48 months of a developer’s agreement, then the developer pays 20% of the change.

“We thought that was reasonable,” said Phillips. To buy a water-tap permit, the newest code says a developer must also plan to build within 90 days.

Public Works Director Tom Tharnish said the rule will prevent instances in which a developer buys water access then pulls out of a project.

“By putting a time limit in, it prevents builders from coming in and buying 200 water taps at one time, and then halfway through it, they walk away.”

Tharnish said that requirement can be waived in certain circumstances, such as when a developer buys the taps while the weather is too cold to break ground.