HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/09/1988 JOINT PUBLIC WORKS AND
FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES
May 9, 1988
6: 00 p.m.
Large Conference Room
Members present: Chairperson Brown, Dell, Fox.
Chairperson Angel, Wright, Buck.
Chairperson Brown called the meeting to order.
Moved by Fox, seconded by Dell that the Agenda, as proposed, be
approved. Motion carried.
The only item of discussion was a proposed increase in the
minimum charge for sewer services. The Public Works Committee
met on this subject on April 25, 1988. At that time, the
Committee requested that the City' s bonding consultant review a
one time minimum charge increase to $6. 00 per month (instead of a
70 percent increase the first year, and a $1 . 00 increase per
month for each of the subsequent two years) . A financial
analysis of the sewer enterprise fund based on the $2.70 per
month increase was reviewed. Total cash for construction that
would be available with the increase in 1991 would be
$9,504,500. 00. The additional cash infusion at the beginning
would allow the City to increase its principal payments and
reduce its interest costs.
Councilperson Angel stated that she was not in agreement with
charging citizens an additional increase to create a cash
reserve. Councilperson Wright stated that she would rather see a
yearly increase rather than a larger one time increase.
Bruce Meisinger, Budget Analyst, defined parity. He explained
that the City must meet "parity test" on sewer bonds. This means
that there are 1. 2 times the revenues to pay for the debt on the
sewer bonds.
After discussion, it was moved by Fox, seconded by Buck that the
staff be directed to obtain additional information on the
long-range savings that citizens would experience if the increase
of $2.70 per month was made immediately rather than over a three
year period. Motion carried.
Bruce Bottorff, Superintendent of the Water Pollution Control
Plant, stated that he would also be requesting changes in the
definition of dwelling unit in the sewer ordinance revision.
Since the minimum charge is being considered to be levied against
each unit within a structure, the following definition for
dwelling unit is being proposed: "A housing unit with kitchen
facilities that connect to the POTW by building sewer or by a
combination of dwelling units connected to one building sewer
prior to discharge to the POTW. " The Committee seemed agreeable
to this definition. Councilperson Dell asked that the Committee
also consider giving some type of break in the minimum charge for
retirement homes. Deb Collett, Executive Director of the
Waterloo Housing Authority, will be asked to be at the next
meeting when this issue is discussed.
With no further business before the Committee, it was moved by
Buck, seconded by Dell that the meeting be adjourned. Motion
carried.
Larry P. Burger
Clerk/Auditor