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MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />MARCH 26, 2007 <br />Blesener pointed out that the basis of this exemption is that a business <br />owner or rental property owner is already buying rubbish service. Without <br />the exemption, that property owner has to pay twice for this service, one at <br />his/her home and again at his/her business or rental property. <br />Allan felt that given the City is taking on the billing for rubbish service, <br />this was an appropriate time to eliminate exemptions other than the <br />exemption for people on vacation for an extended period of time. Allan <br />felt that all other exemptions were inequitable. Allan noted that the City <br />provides sewer and water service, and property owners are not able to <br />exempt themselves from those services. <br />Keis noted that this discussion occurred at the last Council meeting, and <br />asked if anything had changed since that time that would make him <br />change his mind. Blesener asked if Keis still supported the exemptions as <br />proposed. Keis replied that he did. <br />McGraw indicated that he struggles with the fairness issue. He indicated <br />his support for the exemption for business and rental property owners. His <br />struggle was with eliminating the exemption for residents who are <br />employed at a business that will allow them to dispose of their rubbish at <br />work. <br />Allan felt that exemptions are messy, and that the only equitable <br />exemption that could be offered was for residents on extended vacations <br />who will not be using the service. She again noted that sewer and water <br />service is mandatory. <br />The City Administrator noted that business and rental property owners are <br />paying for trash collection at these locations, thus an exemption in these <br />situations eliminates the need to pay twice for this service. The <br />Administrator pointed out that an employee who can dispose of their <br />household trash at their place of employment, would not be paying for <br />trash service at all. Additionally, it would be more difficult to track <br />employment benefits such as this, while easier for City staff to track <br />business or rental property ownership. The Administrator also pointed out <br />that the City does allow some exemptions to sewer and water service. <br />Property owners are not required to connect to City water and are able to <br />maintain private wells. If sanitary sewer service is available to a property, <br />the property owner is then required to connect to sanitary sewer. The <br />Administrator did not feel it would be cumbersome to deal with trash <br />exemptions. The problem that has occurred is that the haulers arbitrarily <br />exempted some property owners from trash collection in the past, and the <br />City is now re-instating trash service as regulated under the Organized <br />Collection Ordinance and Contract. <br />10 <br />