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515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117-1600 <br />(651) 766-4029 / FAX: (651) 766-4048 <br />www.ci.little-canada.mn.us <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Mayor Keis and Members of the City Council <br />FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator <br />DATE: January 8, 2015 <br />RE: St. Johns Church — Request to Waive Water Connection Fees <br />MAYOR <br />John Keis <br />COUNCIL <br />Rick Montour <br />Michael McGraw <br />• Tom Fischer <br />Christian Torkelson <br />ADMINISTRATOR <br />Joel R. Hanson <br />At our December 15, 2014 meeting, we approved paying the additional costs of directionally drilling a <br />water service to the St. Johns Parish house that sits immediately east of the new warming house by the <br />Old Fire Hall. The cost of providing this service was $3,559. We did this to offset the cost of <br />acquiring property from them for the warming house project that was needed to avoid the need for a <br />variance. Using the County's estimated market value for the site, we value the acquisition at <br />$2,405.70. <br />In discussing this acquisition with members of St. Johns Buildings & Grounds committee last fall, we <br />made the offer of trading the water service for the land. I believe we made it clear that it did not <br />include the cost of connecting the water line from the curb stop to the house nor the associated permits <br />fees. <br />Recently, I receive a call from the Chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. He said fees <br />payable to the City were over $700. Based on our fee schedule the fees payable would be as follows: <br />® Water Availability Charge (Connection Fee) - $300 <br />® %" meter - $313 or 1" meter - $360 <br />® Turn On Fee - $15 <br />® Base Fee - $25 <br />® Surcharge - $5 <br />• Outside Inspection Fee - $25 <br />Total Fees - $683 to $730 <br />St. Johns has been very cooperative with the City with numerous projects and we appreciate our <br />excellent working relationship. However, as a public entity, we also need to cognizant of equitable <br />treatment of properties and the "separation of church & state" issue. An additional consideration is the <br />true value to the Church was higher that we charged them given we paid to get the line to the warming <br />house. If they had run the service to the rectory from LC Road, their cost would have been closer to <br />$8,000. As result, I cannot recommend waiving the fee. However, the Council has the final decision <br />in this matter. <br />cc: Deb Langlois, St. Johns Parish Administrator <br />