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MINUTES APPROVED: 4-20-93 <br />SURFACE WATER MANAGEMENT UTILITY INFORMATION MEETING <br />MARCH 30, 1993 <br />Acting Mayor Dick Johnson called the informational meeting <br />to order at 7:47 p.m. in the City Council chambers, <br />PRESENT: Mottaz, Conlin, Johnson, City Engineer Bohrer and <br />Administrator Kueffner. ABSENT: John, Johnston. <br />City Engineer Larry Bohrer presented a summary on Surface <br />Water Management Utility. This is the second informational <br />meeting; the first meeting was held on Tuesday, February 23, <br />1993. <br />Steve DeLapp indicated the engineer should be, aware that a <br />number of residents have 1000 of their drainage situation <br />paid for by special assessments to the VBWD. Therfore in <br />his case, 1000 of the water on his property goes into a pipe <br />that is on his property that he helped pay for through <br />special assessments to the VBWD. Not one ounce of water <br />goes anywhere else into Lake Elmo except into that pipe. <br />Will this tax be deductible? <br />Ed Stevens understands the utility system is to provide a <br />fair allocation of the payments that have to be made. The <br />assessment per lot now is $10. If we spread it over the <br />entire city by property values, what would it be then. <br />Would the individual propertyowner pay $8.50, $11.20--what <br />would the difference be? If the city needs $28,000/yr. and <br />they would increase the mill rate to the extent that this <br />amount of money would come in, the individual propertyowner <br />would likely see very little difference in their taxes. If <br />that is the case, then I don't see why we have to go through <br />a complicated system and spend $13,000 to set it up <br />initially when the result is insignificant. It should be <br />placed on the general tax levy because it is simpler and <br />probably result in approximately the same cost per parcel <br />anyway. <br />Todd Williams agreed with the tax being a cheaper way to <br />raise the same amount of money and you can deduct taxes from <br />income tax where you cannot deduct utility fees. I know how <br />difficult it is to look at the general tax levy and decide <br />how best to allocate it. There is a benefit to have a <br />dedicated fund which is earmarked for very specific <br />purposes. In this case, preparation of the surface water <br />management plan is paramount because the city needs to get <br />it done. He would favor going ahead with this at least, <br />until we get the surface water management plan done and then <br />the city can decide if we want to continue the utility if <br />its doing the job or should we roll it into the general tax <br />fund. <br />