(1) The owners of all real property lying within 160 feet of a city wastewater sewer, which can be served by an already installed city sewer line and which has not paid a local improvement assessment for the wastewater sewer to which connection is to be made shall pay to the finance officer an equivalent assessment and any other fees required by the city before connecting to the wastewater sewer. If the property has delinquent local improvement assessments against it, before issuing the sewer connection permit, all delinquent assessments shall be brought current. The equivalent assessment shall be determined by the city engineer, taking into account the city policy that each parcel of real property shall pay at least for an eight inch lateral sewer system, based on the greater of the cost of constructing the wastewater sewer to which connection is proposed or the cost at the time of connection of local improvement assessments for similar wastewater sewers. As used in this subsection “cost” includes the expenses identified in section 7.170. The total equivalent assessment shall be reduced by any principal payment received on a local improvement assessment levied against the property for a wastewater sewer. Within ten days of that determination any person aggrieved by the city engineer’s determination may submit a written request for a hearing by the city manager or the manager’s designee using the applicable procedures set forth at section 2.021 of this code. The determination on the appeal shall be in writing and shall be issued within 10 days of the hearing. On the date of issuance, a copy of the decision shall be mailed to the appellant, the city engineer and other parties who have requested a copy. The decision of the city manager or the manager’s designee shall be final.

(2) The city may accept and incorporate all or part of the wastewater system of a special service district as a part of the city’s wastewater system. After such acceptance, the city may establish special assessment and connection fees in the manner provided by law.

(3) In lieu of paying the equivalent assessment at the time of connection, the owner of the real property to be connected to the wastewater sewer may execute and deliver to the finance officer an agreement to pay the equivalent assessment in installments. The finance officer may accept the owner’s agreement to pay only if it is consistent with the limits established under subsection 7.160(2) and (3). Equivalent assessments paid as provided in this subsection shall be charged interest on the unpaid principal balance as provided in section 2.022 of this code and are hereby declared a lien against the real property and shall be docketed in the lien docket of the city and may be foreclosed in the same manner as other assessment liens.

(4) The equivalent assessment required by this section shall be used for wastewater purposes and shall be in addition to all other fees and assessments required by this code.