03/02/1999 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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koquast for the Sower Rate Task Force - Carolyn Kncler - 'I'14-8092 Council at l .argn March 2, 1499 I have a +equest io nrakc of rho Sewor Ratc Task porno, appoint®d by tho Mayor. I have placed that request in wrung, taut would like to read it to ecru hao. At1cr Iravir+g ircnrd from scvoral residonta, as i a+n suro ma»y of my colleagues have, aver the pant few years, and n.Q r~cerstly us last wcck, ru+d allw- rascarchir+t; the history of tlrc ct+tablishmont of sewer rrteu, my request is spaeille a9 to that i,sue. '3owCr rotes Or~C Erased on uxryurr+t~tiu,+ of watw, ltowaver d.s pressnt minimum billing amount per }1otr.;tht.-ttl +ri !MCP ur 1000 cubic feet of waxer per mcn+lh. Ir. ulitC+ words, rho mu+iu.um amoutrt Of watcr a roAidorrt will be billed t'w ~»cL +++uutlr is 1Ot10 cubic foal. Ai:or• hom•iag from roaidont3 and tba- ra}!er r~oarohinQ t1++,: ir:aur, it is my uuJtl+~ta+uling ll+at tl+C AVClagC SerlrOf Cltl~pr+, cn~+ty-nCStcr, or smallor trousehald, most likoly will rat use 1 MCi7 of water per month. Irr an effort to redace sewez rates for scttiors curd similar email houst:hoids, witbtt~ut placing a burtkn on other taxpayers, the ertiro billing system must be restruchtrt:d I assume titer this will ha the work of this Task Force and 1 am requesting that they corrsider the following restructuring: 1. Reduce the minimum water consumption to be billed to `/z MCP, or 54t1 cubic felt of water par nx~nth; t)t 2. lnvesugnte the possibility of billing for actual consumption. Ta the bust of my recollection, lire last tim++ a discount for t;eniors citizens was suggested, it erruld not bo insututed tine to the fact drat dte rates for at! residems had airettdy bean estabhslted. Since these rotes are dir~tly and ttppropriatety calculated to mact tho operating costs of the Sewor Troatmont 1~1ant, it is impossible to rodacc the rates far one facdorr of the popotation, after the fact, after ratcs have been established, without increasing the rates for otttors in. order to make up tlrc slrorl fall that discount would carrst. Howevor, dte reverse of chat sct~ttario is, if saviors, newlyweds moving into o»r city, and empty rosters do molt use the present minimum I A+IC't' per rnt-nth than the presort rate schedule results in saviors end other similar hous~toids subsidizing the rest of the city. Nut avmther way, those residents least able to pay aru payivE more thou their share. Since periodic opportunities arise to reevaluate this sewer rattti (ir tAct, otve such opportunity is upon us I believe}, 1 am requesting that the cotrimittee investigate n new rate schedule, M be instituted wlv(1neYOr a change in rates is permitted by the City of Cleveland, and that this change be mother I) minimum billing of ~/, MGr, or 2) biliinb for actual usage. if this is truly a "users" fee, than why ntrt bill it that way. If we make the minimum billing unit '/: MCP or 500 cubic frwt, seniors acrd gl~,residents moil) be paying closer to their actual usage; a prossptsct drat is fair to everyone. rrunher, if actual usage could boCOmc ttve t)asis for billing, we have truly reached the goal of a "users fee". 1 am aubmittuvg this request in writing m the oommitteo for llteir consideration. l feel certain that this is the diroction tfiis cotllntittcc will be takinb, and these spgeiftc rogtusts wilt fu>)tefutly bttcomo a basis for productive discussion. T would approciate it if the administration would provide a schedule ot'the committee's meetings so that I might atttnd to discuss this further. ..:•~.~: