Minutes - Public Works Committee - 07/16/2001

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City Engineer Olson replied that all property owners are charged the fee because it ig an overall benefit to the City. Councihnember Hendriksen stated that the best way to prove something is unfair is to do a case study. If someone feels they are being treated unfairly then they could come forward with a case study. Councilmember Anderson inquired as to what the other options the City might have to collect the funds that they need to cover the projects. City Engineer Olson replied that staff did a lot of research into the storm water utility fee and about 60 percent of the cities in the metro area have the fund. State Statue requires that it be done based on a rational method. Most storm utilities are based on land use. In the City's ordinance the fee is much more actual because it is based on impervious surface. Another big factor is the more it rains the bigger the rain fall event and the less deviation there is between vacant land. In most storm utility fees they use a one-year storm event and in the City's case they used a five-year storm event. The City is less defining the higher uses in that respect, but doesn't know that there is a lot more the City can do. Councilmember Hendriksen stated that he did not think that the Public Works Committee needed to take any action unless they are changing something. City Engineer Olson inquired if the consensus of the Public Works Committee on February 15, 2000 still stands. Consensus of the Public Works Committee was yes. Councilmember Hendriksen stated that if the business owners feel that there is a better option then he would like them to present that to the Council. Wayne Davis replied that he has tried to do that in regards to his business in the past. His property and business is considered a farm, but in this case he is not being treated as a farm. Case #1: Request for Change Order to Improvement Project #00-35, 141st Avenue NW Street and Utility Construction City Engineer Olson stated that the extension of 141st Avenue NW was discussed last February at the Public Works Committee meeting and it was decided to stop the construction of 141st Avenue NW at the western edge of the property owned by St. Paul Terminals. Staff was also authorized to install a water main on the north side of the existing St. Paul Terminals property, repave the area that is disturbed, and place barricades on the southern half of 141~t Avenue NW. St. Paul Terminals has agreed to give the City the necessary easement to construct a wider road, abandon their own well (which would be on the property that they give us), and hook up to the City water supply at their own cost if the city of Ramsey waives the water trunk and later charges. It was staff's recommendation to enter into a change order to authorize Erickson Construction to install Public Works Committee/July 16, 2001 Page 6 of 13