Paullina Council Tackles Two Big Issues
by Mari Radtke
Council wants to remind citizens to prevent grass clippings and sump pump discharges from entering the sewer system. Both actions can cause slowing or clogging of the drainage system.
Another reminder by the council is to report the pipe material inside your house of your plumbing. The EPA is taking an inventory of lead, copper and other pipe materials in use. If you need assistance please contact city hall, 949-3428.
The Town & Country 5-year proposed contract was extended for 30-days. The proposed contract was far more extensive than the historical contracts. Council is waiting for a legal opinion on the proposed contract before acting.
A public hearing to consider accepting the switchgear improvements was set for Monday August 5 at 5:30 pm in Council Chambers. The public hearing is for citizens to ask questions about the project, its costs and for council to give clear answers. The project is to be funded with reserves of the electric utility fund. The plan is to replenish the reserves after the completion of the upgrades with a bond. A bond is not part of this public hearing.
The first big undertaking of the council on July 1 was the utility rate adjustments proposal. A 1st reading could not be held. The ordinance was not returned to council members timely enough to understand it. Making sure council has sufficient time and information to cast a vote is a good sign of Paullinaís leadership recovery.
Each rate change for each utility was discussed individually. The rates are being proposed so that the utilities are not subsidized by property tax dollars. Garbage rates are proposed to increase by an average of 11.1% residential and 11.7% commercial for dumpsters. Council has a proposal for small commercial garbage users for a blue bin at a 50% reduced cost.
Water billing has both a service charge and consumption charges. For residential rates, the proposal is to increase the service charge by 19%, fro, $20.16 to $24.00 per month. All other residential water charges would be increased by 15% if the proposed changes are eventually accepted. The same water rate increases is true for commercial users as well.
The sewer system is getting updated aerators. There is some federal funds available for the city to use, but not nearly enough. Other costs have risen to a point the sewer would be operating at a deficit. Residential rate changes proposed are for the first 1000 or fewer gallons of water used to increase 66.7%, from $12.00 to $20 per month. Use above that figure are suggested at 15% increases. Commercial sewer consumers face the same increases.
The electic fund got the most discussion. Councilman Dennis Werkmeister offered a lower, slower service charge increase as an alternative to the residential 20% proposed increase. That increase alone goes from $15.00 per month to $18.00 per month. Werkmeister proposed setting a new service charge at $16.50. It was voted down 3-2. Werkmeister and Steve Heeren supported slower increases. Jean Unrau, Nichole Jacobs and Carol Honkomp voted to keep the 20% increase. The small change would have been a reduction of $10,000 of revenue to the electric fund creating a $2000 budget deficit. No one discussed spending cuts for that small amount of money. There was also no mention of the more than $200,000 the cityís general fund owes to the electric fund for the city park ball lights as another method to slow the electric rate increases.
The proposed rates will be set into the ordinances for first reading, if available timely, on Monday July 15.
The airport met with much discussion Monday on a couple of concerns with Brian Feltman and Marty Tjossem present to answer questions. The first concern is its manager. The second concern is its funding. Brian Feltman is currently filling many manager duties, as historically provided. He was not named manager Monday because he said he had not read the job description closely. Once he does and agrees to it, he will most likely be appointed.
A lengthier discussion of airport finances and how property and duties and revenues are divided between the city and the Flying Club took place. The city budgeted $32,000 for the airport. One major point of budget discussion was crack repair of the runway. Feltman and Tjossem both explained a contractor is in the area who fills cracks with a substance that produces a more even surface and last longer than traditional crack fill. Since they are already in the area they would do the runway for $15,000. The city would save $3000 because the company would not have to set up their equipment.
Eventually council agreed the money is already in the airport budget and categorized to allow the project to get done.