The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Oct. 21 to deny an appeal by homeowner Jennifer Hageman challenging decisions by the county agency engineer tied to a county meter‑installation project in the Arden service area.

Hageman told the board the county's relocation of the public main left her property with no feasible, low‑impact route to reconnect, and that routes the agency offered would require new trenching or boring under mature trees, a permitted mini‑barn, pool decking and other improvements. She said contractor quotes to construct a private service lateral ranged from about $37,000 to $94,000 and that the proposed work risked killing trees and creating long‑term maintenance burdens.

County staff and counsel said the meter program responds to state law requiring urban water purveyors to install customer meters and that the county has undertaken an area‑wide project that has already installed mains and service laterals for thousands of customers. Director Matt Sotto, acting as the agency engineer, told the board the agency obtained permits to enter from prior owners in 2022 and has documented permission from roughly 2,300 customers for the work. Staff said the county's standard offer includes restoration of property, a one‑year warranty on the work and indemnification provisions.

County Counsel Bill Burke told the board the appeal challenges two decisions: (1) the agency engineer's refusal to accept the additional terms Hageman attached to the property owner permission and (2) the agency's decision to proceed with the meter conversion. Burke said the matter is governed by the Water Agency Act and related agency code provisions that place responsibility for the private portion of a service lateral with the property owner while allowing the agency to install mains and the right‑of‑way portion of a service.

Supervisor Hume moved to deny the appeal; Supervisor Kennedy seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously with the members present. Board members and staff told Hageman the county remains willing to work with her to identify a feasible alignment, and staff said, timetable permitting, reconnection could be completed if parties agree on an alignment before scheduled paving work (staff identified Nov. 3 as a key milestone in the contractor schedule).