11/15/2005 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 11/15/2005 readings and formal committee review noting this had previously been discussed in committee. The motion was seconded by Councilman Barker and passed unanimously. Don Pangrac, 23470 Sharon Drive, came forward and asked if this was a preamble to a rate increase. Councilman Barker said no. Councilman Gareau said he did not know that it's a preamble to a rate increase because he does not know what they are going to find when they actually undertake their analysis. He has watched the situation at the WWTP facility in terms of its financing and its revenue streams and its operation and would have to say it has degraded over a period of time. Where the money is going is a great concern to him. Before anybody would ever suggest to him that rates should go up, it would be absolutely mandatory that he know in his mind that the plant is running at its absolute time-notch possibility. It needs to be at the most efficient, the most well run, the most organized system that we have in this city before anybody is every going to ask residents for another nickel. The only way he is ever going to know what we actually have is to have an outsider come in, look at how the plant is being run, and then make recommendations. This legislation is to prepare to do that. He cannot say it is a preamble to a rate increase because he does not know what the consultant is going to fmd. He does know we're running out of money over there. The plant needs to be evaluated as Council members are not experts in terms of running the WWT facility, yet they maybe called upon at some point in the future to address the funding situation at the plant. This is a necessary step in the process. Mr. Pangrac asked to be notified of future meetings regarding this issue. Councilman Barker said he would notify him. Also, he said that he had jumped the gun in saying it was not a preamble to a rate increase. He would like to retract that statement. He said no because this is a preliminary check as explained by Mr. Gareau. We also have some issues with the EPA, and we do not know what they will entail. This is a study of the whole process. Hopefully, we can get by without rate increases, but there is no guarantee on that. Mayor O'Grady said this is a process of going in and taking a look at current operations and making certain that they are being done in a way that is logical, a way that is efficient and cost effective for our citizens. Within that look at the operations, we look at the capital improvement plan and ensure that we understand what needs to incur over the next five years as far as capital improvement expenditures and why and that it fits together with our operational plan. And only then, once we understand where we are and where we need to get to, can we look at the rates and make certain that the rates we have in place are meeting the requirements for the facility once it is operating as efficiently as it can. That is the purpose of the rate and operational study. He agrees with every single word that Councilman Gareau said. He too will not bring this forward for any type of a rate increase unless that is the absolute last choice after we have explored every other avenue towards greater efficiencies in the operations of that plant. Councilman Gareau moved for adoption, and the motion was seconded by Councilman Barker. Roll call: Gareau, yes; Barker, yes; Tallon, yes; Miller, yes with comment thanking Mr. Gareau for pushing this issue. He has had the full support of Council throughout. Let's hope that they find this is an operation that can be slimmed down and that any rate increases can be put off. Roll call continued: Orlowski, yes; Ryan, yes; Nashar, yes. The motion passed unanimously. Ordinance No. 2005-167 adopted. 16