Restaurateur Tim Niver recalls reopening the Town Talk Diner in Minneapolis years ago, only to get a huge bill from the Metropolitan Council for a sewer connection.

“In Minneapolis, it wasn’t made clear what the charges were going to be, and it ended up being $15,000,” said Niver, recalling the challenge of launching a restaurant in the spot of a historic East Lake Street diner. “It was way more than expected. Now, it’s something I always ask about.”

A one-time sewer connection fee that restaurants and business owners pay to the Met Council through their municipal building permits isn’t going away. But changes on the horizon may take some bite out of the so-called “SAC surprise,” reducing red tape for restaurants.