HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-04-2013 Work Session MinutesPARTIAL MINUTES ONLY
Meeting of: COLUMBIA HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL
Date of Meeting: NOVEMBER 4, 2013
Time of Meeting: 7:00 P.M.
Location of Meeting: CONFERENCE ROOM 1
Purpose of Meeting: WORK SESSION
Present: Mayor Peterson, Council Member Williams, Council Member Nawrocki, Council
Member Diehm, Council Member Schmitt, City Manager Walt Fehst, Assistant to City
Manager/HR Director Linda Magee, Public Works Director/City Engineer Kevin Hansen,
Finance Director Joseph Kloiber, Community Development Director Scott Clark, and City
Clerk Tori Leonhardt.
City Engineer/Public Works Director Kevin Hansen gave the background information to the
Council on the fact that the City entered into a long-term contract with the City of
Minneapolis Water Works (MWW) for the supply and purchase of water in 2004. In
January of this year, Contract Amendment No. 1 was approved so that Minneapolis both
owns and maintains the master meter. This amendment was approved for meter ownership
for each of their municipal or wholesale customers. Over the last 15 months, Minneapolis
has been updating the Water Cost of Service (COS) Study, involving each of their
municipal customers. The current water contract provides that the COS will be updated
every five years. From the 2012 COS update, Minneapolis is proposing Contract
Amendment No. 2.
Changes proposed in Contract Amendment No. 2 are identified as follows:
Rate Calculation: The current contract Details that Columbia Heights will pay an “inside
rate” or percentage of what Minneapolis customer pay. The percentage is determined by
the COS, and may change with future COS updates. Our current inside rate is 57.78% of
Minneapolis customer rates.
They are looking at drilling wells for the purposes of back up because they only have a two
day back up and for temperature control. It causes a concern with algae. They want to pull
in colder water. This is about three years out. They need to get permitted through the
DNR. They would need to start a pilot program.
The COS looks at all the facets of water being the cost to draw the water, to pump it, to treat
it, to distribute it, it looks at capital costs.
Nawrocki asked where they would be drilling these wells. Hansen indicated that they have
not identified a well field yet, but it will be on the other side of the river on Minneapolis’s
side.
Hansen stated we have paid an inside rate for the last two decades. Nawrocki felt this is
like a double hit. Hansen did not feel this was correct. We have been raising our utility
rates per volume and what has changed are the fixed fee costs. It is just a different rate to
base our rate off of.
Schmitt stated at the quarterly meeting they talked about the aquifers going down instead of
up and they are talking about drilling 30 wells. The DNR and Met Council are also doing
studies to figure out what to do. We need to start educating the public on preserving our
water supply. Our only water supply comes from the Mississippi and the City of
Minneapolis, is it feasible for us to drill a well? Hansen stated it is always feasible for us to
drill a well, but as a backup plan now depends on ground water and interconnects with the
cities of Fridley and New Brighton and that is already in place. We do not need to drill a
well.
2014 Budget Presentation
Community Development Dept:
City Managers Budget:
Assessing:
Legal Servies:
City Clerk:
Mayor/Council:
Public Works:
Finance/Liquor/General Government: