Agenda - Council - 12/12/2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

discuss the storm drainage utility. The thoughts expressed at this meeting related to making it i easier for applyiug and receiving the credits that are available. This issue was discussed at great lengths because of the fact that it cost Diamonds Sports Bar $600100 to complete the application ....................... form. The City was also concerned about that charge for businesses. Prior experience with the same credit application lead staff to believe that it would only amount to approximately $150.00 to $250.00 for a business that had already paid an engineer to prepare their drainage plan. In a memo fi'om Pete Raatild<a of Hakanson Anderson Associates, he states that it 'would cost approximately $200.00 if they had done the original drainage plan, $600.00 if they had the drainage plan and had not completed the design of the storm drainage facility in question, and $1,200.00 if there was no drainage plan and they had to send a survey crew out to complete the site measurements. As the resolution is written, the property owner must apply for the credits available for the ston'n drainage fee. This relieves the City of the liability created if staff does not apply a credit to a property that would be eligible and requires the property owner sign a document that says that they will maintain the pond as long as they want to receive the credit. Another concern that was expressed at the Public Works Committee meeting held on October 17, 2000, was how the City of Ramsey's rates compares to storm drainage utility rates of other communities. Staff presented the Council with a list of some of' the utilities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area that also have storm drainage utilities. It is important to 'consider that every utility is fashioned a bit differently. The need for a maintenance fund is justified as illustrated in the budget for the storm drainage utility. Based on the revenue/expenditure projection along with the need for a dedicated source of revenue for storm sewer projects throughout the City, City staff recommended that the rates remain as previously presented. City Administrator Norman requested that the Council approve the rates and charges and then direct staff to bring back a recommendation to make the credit process more user fi-iendly. Councilmember Hendriksen stated that he has been told that two properties, VeVe, Inc. and Diamonds Sports Bar have a similar amount of impervious area, but Diamonds pays more because the large amount of grass surface skews the figures and, because they have 17 acres, they don't qualify for the modified method. City Engineer Olson replied that he was correct. Councilmember Hendriksen stated that 19 percent 0f the Diamonds property is impervious and the 20-acre minimum requirement for the modified method should be reduced. City Engineer Olson replied that he could research what the ramifications would be to reduce the minimum acreage requirement under the modified method and bring that information back. Councihnember Connolly stated that she concurred with Councilmember Hendriksen. City Engineer Olson inquired as to where the Council would recommend that threshold to be. City Council/November 14, 2000 Page 9 of 19 -83-