03-14-2018 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MARCH 14, 2018 have implemented a watering ban during the day to limit the loss of water through evaporation in the sun. He explained that Staff recommends a sprinkling ban between the hours of 10:00am and 6:OOpm from May 1 to September 30. He noted that the ban would not apply to other outdoor water uses such as car washing, filling small kid pools, and hand watering landscaping and gardens. The Public Works Director recommends the Council to direct Staff to develop an amendment to the water ordinance with the daytime sprinkling ban language. Montour clarified that this would be for both residential and commercial. The Public Works Director stated that is what he would recommend, but it is up to the Council to decide. Fischer questioned whether it would be better to just promote water conservation rather than creating an ordinance that is hard to enforce. McGraw stated that he feels the ordinance is needed since many people will not be happy and the ordinance is necessary to be able to enforce the conservation objectives. There was Council consensus to direct staff to draft an amendment to the water ordinance to add language for a daytime sprinkling ban as recommended by Staff. ORDINANCE 824, The City Administrator explained that the 2017 budget for the water fiend AMENDING THE predicted a net loss, but the actual result anticipates a gain of $10,468, FEE SCHEDULE which is largely attributable to higher water usage in 2017 versus previous TO INCREASE years. He stated that because of the decline of water usage over the past WATER & SEWER number of years and given potential ramifications the White Bear Lake RATES AND lawsuit may have on water usage in the future, Staff believes that we TRASH & should do a minimal rate increase to head off a future larger increase. He RECYCLING reported that Staff is recommending an effective increase of 1.73% in RATES water rates for 2018. As a result, the winter rate would increase from $3.40 per 1,000 gallons of water to $3.45 (1.47% increase), and the summer rate would increase from $3.51 per 1,000 gallons of water to $3.60 (2.56% increase). He stated he is not recommending any change to the water service charge of $13.50 per unit. The City Administrator explained that the 2017 sewer utility fund had a budgeted loss of $21,928, but the projected results indicate a profit of $33,000 due to revenues that exceeded our projections. This is likely the result of new customers such as Cardigan Ridge, and rate modifications performed better than expected, along with lower repair and maintenance costs in 2017. He reported that Staff is recommending an increase to the consumption rate from $3.8 per 1,000 gallons to $3.90 per 1,000 gallons (2.63% increase). He noted that users of 7,000 gallons or less per quarter will experience no change in costs. 7