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Mounds View City Council December 11, 2000 <br />Regular Meeting Page 6 <br />resident input from those residents supporting the program. He expressed his support of the <br />program and said he is glad the City is offering a program to help alleviate the rather large <br />expense of repairing water service. As a homeowner, preventive maintenance on various <br />equipment can save a person money but there is no preventive maintenance that can be done to <br />your water service. When it breaks it is unexpected and usually a large cash outlay which would <br />set just about anybody back. <br />Steven Berk 2614 Louisa Avenue expressed his support for the program indicating he was a <br />single parent who would be hard pressed to come up with a large amount of cash to repair his <br />water service. <br />Mayor Coughlin closed the public hearing at 7:44 p.m. <br />MOTION/SECOND: Quick/Marty. To Waive the Second Reading and Adopt the Proposed <br />Changes to Ordinance 673, Chapter 906 of the Municipal Code, Section 906.04, Entitled <br />"Liability for Repairs". <br />Council Member Thomas expressed her concern for residents calling the proposed program an <br />insurance plan and indicated it was simply another tax being collected to fund a City welfare <br />program for water service repair. She stated she does not like the precedent this type of program <br />would set if approved. She also stated she does not approve of collecting yet another tax when <br />taxes are proposed to be raised considerably for next year <br />Council Member Stigney expressed his displeasure with the fact the issue was not more <br />thoroughly discussed at the Work Session. He inquired as to what the Ordinance specifies for <br />repairs now, when the Ordinance was changed and why. He indicated Staff was not able to <br />explain why the City made the change to require residents to pay from the home to the main <br />rather than from the home to the curb stop box. It is his opinion anything in the boulevard <br />should be City responsibility not the residents' responsibility. Council Member Stigney inquired <br />as to whether new homes would be hooked up to service as part of this program at City expense. <br />This proposal as he understands it is to have the City pay to repair from the home to the curb stop <br />box. Requiring residents to pay for this program even if they do not wish to be involved in the <br />program is not right in his opinion. The resolution that came before Council at the last meeting <br />gave the option for residents to opt out of the program and that would be his preference. In his <br />opinion he does not believe it is right to charge residents for yet another fee over and above what <br />they are paying to go into the general fund if those residents do not wish to pay the fee for <br />participation in the program. Council Member Stigney expressed his desire to have the program <br />better defined. He then inquired as to whether the covered repairs were for a one time repair or if <br />the service was ongoing. <br />Public Works Director Ulrich indicated authorization for payment for repair of services would be <br />at the sole discretion of the City but said he did not expect this to be a one-time service repair for <br />residents. <br />• <br />