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Mounds View City Council Regular Meeting November 27, 2000 Page 5 10. COUNCIL BUSINESS A. u li in in sider Ordinance No. 673 P b c Hear g and Second Read g to Con , Amending Chapter 906.04, Subd. 4, Entitled "Liability for Repairs" of the Municipal Code (Water Services). Public Works Director Ulrich gave a brief overview of the proposed change to the ordinance. The ordinance is being amended to provide that the City will make repairs to the water service between the water main and the structure. These repairs will be funded by a utility fee of $4.00 per quarter to all residents. Public Works Director Ulrich indicated he had received numerous telephone calls from residents concerning the proposed ordinance change. Some of those calls were in support of and some against the ordinance. One resident had requested participation in the program be voluntary. Public Works Director Ulrich indicated the reason the City is proposing the change to the ordinance is to provide assistance to residents who have expensive water service repairs. The City will contract with several regular contractors who, as part of the contract, will be required to repair the service within five days. In the past, residents who have attempted to contact contractors to schedule repairs have had a less than timely response. It is the opinion of the City that contracting with the City is more enticing to contractors and, as such, residents should receive timely service. • Public Works Director Ulrich read a letter written and submitted by Linda Hemenway of 5211 Sunnyside Road. The letter outlined the repairs she was required to pay for when her service failed twice. Ms. Hemenway made two suggestions in her letter. The first suggestion was for the City to allow those residents who have already had to pay for expensive repairs to their water service to be allowed to participate in the program without having to pay the quarterly fee. Ms. Hemenway indicated she felt asking residents to pay the quarterly fee unduly penalized those residents who have already had to pay to repair their services. The second suggestion is to make the change to the ordinance retroactive and reimburse those residents who have had to pay for repairs. It is Ms. Hemenway's suggestion that the City seriously look at her first recommendation. Public Works Director Ulrich also outlined the contents of a letter received from a resident who had a repair within the last two weeks. He showed Council and others present a section of the pipe that was hand dug from the Fisher residence. The pipe had numerous pinholes and cracks. Mayor Coughlin asked Public Works Director Ulrich to explain to those in attendance the problems with the schedule of copper used. Public Works Director Ulrich explained that there was a stamp on the copper pipe removed from the Fisher residence that indicated the copper was schedule L. Current City Code requires that schedule K copper be used. This indicates to him that there will be further problems with