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Council Minutes of 11/20/2007 <br />And that is, with the professionalism of the people there, with the changes and the <br />efficiencies that have been made to this point, we were able to take a levy that was <br />scheduled to go only to the year 2000 and have it go to the year 2008. Further, with the <br />changes that are coming, that will be paid for with this sewer rate increase, that we will <br />bring even greater automation and efficiency to the plant and further reduce costs to our <br />taxpayers. This isn't a time now to be saying that we should pull back and study. The <br />studies have been done. The information was presented, and it was presented to Council <br />as presented to the administration. It's time to move forward. He asked the Service <br />Director to continue to comment on this issue. <br />Service Director Limpert said he was a member of Council the last time there was a rate <br />increase. The amount of work that has gone into studying the issue this time around is far <br />superior. It's difficult for the casual observer to know all that is involved with sewers <br />and the processing of sewage. Lakewood and Rocky River have completely different <br />permitting processes. They dump directly into the lake, and they have a whole different <br />standard. It did not make sense to compare our city to a city we cannot be like because <br />we have to dump into a river. This is not about the future. This rate before Council <br />tonight is not the final say as far as future improvements to the plant. This is about <br />continuing service and improving service to our users in the City of North Olmsted in the <br />year 2008. As far as whether we go with a Class A sludge, a Class C, those are going to <br />be future decisions that Council will be hearing more about. Tonight is about getting the <br />necessary funding that we need to run the plant through 2008 without falling into <br />sanctions from the EPA, without endangering our residents as far as flooding, without <br />endangering the quality of water. During 2008, we'll be having more meetings with <br />Council as to each step that we're going to do. Contracts over $5,000 cannot be issued <br />without councilmanic approval. All dollars must be appropriated by Council. Tonight is <br />about putting the rate in place so that we can continue with the necessary, and it would be <br />doing a great disservice to our users not to move forward and take care of our <br />responsibilities to the public, the government, and the environment. The sewer budget <br />has been cut down to the bone for the past seven years so that there is no fat to get <br />through 2008 we can cut. We're down to necessary jobs for our employees, and they are <br />needed in that plant. We are down to odor control that we do have. These are the things <br />that are going to be on the line if we do not have the funding that will hopefully be <br />provided tonight. <br />Dennis Lambert commented that he did not say we should be like Lakewood and Rocky <br />River. He said the plan Council saw which was presented by these professionals was a <br />plan comparing us to Regional Sewer, which was not the same as comparing us to <br />something closer to us like Lakewood or Rocky River. In answer to a question by Mr. <br />Gareau, he said he did not read the whole study but attended the presentation. <br />2) Tom Herbster, 4965 Porter Road, spoke about Ordinance 2007-123. He asked if it was <br />true that, with the money raised for capital improvements, a 7% administration fee comes <br />off the top of that? Finance Director Copfer answered not including debt service, out of <br />operations Mr. Herbster said he would like to request that Council consider for the <br />capital improvement part only, not operations, to take 100% of those funds and direct it <br />10 <br /> <br />