During its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 11, the Kingston City Council voted to approve a proposed policy revision that would exempt certain water customers from paying sewer fees if their properties are not connected to the city’s sewer system.

The vote follows months of advocacy by property owners and water customers located outside the city limits who attended council meetings to contest the decades-old practice of assessing sewer charges without a physical connection. In response to these concerns, the council and the Kingston Water Works and Sewer Department reviewed the existing ordinance and drafted the proposed changes.

The measure passed its first reading with unanimous approval. Because the revision involves an ordinance change, it requires a second and final reading, alongside a public hearing, which is scheduled for the next council meeting in September.