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