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Mounds View City Council July 26, 2004 <br />Regular Meeting Page 4 <br />• 10. COUNCIL BUSINESS <br />A. Rick Winters, the son of Dorothy Winters, would like to speak to Council <br />regarding a reimbursement request for Basement Flood Damage due to a Main <br />Sewer Line Blockage at 7831 Sunnyside Road. <br />Rick Winters, son of property owner, Dorothy Winters, stated on December 27, 2003 his <br />mother's sewer backed up, leaving two inches of sewage in her basement, and the backup <br />occurred due to a blockage in the street. He stated that Service Master worked for three days to <br />clean up the basement, and the cost was $5,000. He stated that the League of Minnesota Cities <br />had denied the claim. <br />Mr. Winters stated Title Source, the business next door, had been having sewer difficulties <br />during this same week, which the City had indicated may have been a factor in the main line <br />problem. He stated he submitted a sworn affidavit to the Council from the manager of Title <br />Source describing the events regarding the sewer problem. He stated that it would be reasonable <br />to expect the Public Works Department to contact Title Source to see if the problem had been <br />resolved so that the main line could be checked, thus preventing the sewer backup into his <br />mother's home. He stated he believes the City of Mounds View has responsibility and liability <br />for this issue. <br />Council Member Stigney asked why the insurance company rejected the claim, and Mr. Winters <br />• stated that they had said they felt there wasn't liability on the City's part because there was no <br />negligence on the City's part because they had cleaned the line twice in the last couple of years. <br />Tim Pittman, Public Works Supervisor, stated that Title Source had been having problems with <br />their sewer line, which Roto-Rooter had been working on, and he had gone and checked the two <br />manholes upstream and downstream, and they were having good flow at the time. He stated that <br />probably something finally broke loose later and plugged the main. <br />Council Member Marty stated he would concur with Staff's recommendation that the City assist <br />the Winters should they decide to file a case against Roto Rooter. <br />Mr. Winters stated he didn't feel it was his mother's job to sort out the facts or to go after Roto- <br />Rooter or Title Source. He felt that was between the City of Mounds View and Roto-Rooter or <br />Title Source. <br />Mayor Linke stated that what happens inside of that service connection is out of the City's <br />control. He stated that they wouldn't want to set a precedent for the City by paying this $5,000 <br />claim. <br />Mr. Winters stated that the City hadn't had a blockage for ten years, so it wasn't an event that <br />happened very often. <br />• <br />