City Council Minutes 2002 05 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Louisville City Council Meeting May 21, 2002 Page 11 Keany questioned why the system of adjusting water is being changed from ordinance form to resolution form. He voiced his concern that Council or some future Council may face a serious situation or drought and use an emergency ordinance, but if a resolution is used instead, there may be some concern of abuse. City Attorney Sam Light explained one reason to change from ordinance to resolution form, is that ordinances are codified into the Municipal Code, while resolutions are not. Mayer commented that some fees, such as the application and processing fees, are done administratively and noted that there is a potential to abuse the fee structure through ordinance. He stated that if the water rates are changed, it should be on a new billing cycle. He suggested that the 7,000-gallon minimum be reduced. He urged Council to allow the citizens greater flexibility in terms how they conserve water. Sisk addressed the question of whether rates should be increased by ordinance or resolution. He stated that the water conservation plan is already in place and the resolution would allow the information to be dispersed more readily to the citizens. Davidson concurred with Council member Mayer that the 7,000-gallon minimum should be reduced. He stated that a Council is trying to establish a plan and determine how well it works. Van Pelt stated that emergency water restrictions were very appropriate given the current drought situation, however she did not believe it is the best long-term solution for water management. She stated that Council can now step back and analysis what is the best way to manage the water resources for the future. She noted that the citizens gave very valid point in terms of managing water consumption within their own households. She voiced her opinion that watering twice a week does not give the flexibility for the long- term water management. Brown concurred with Council member Van Pelt, that Council can receive feedback from the conservation measures. He felt that the citizens could manage their water consumption within their households. Public Works Director Tom Phare reported on information on the first four days of the water restriction (May 17 - May 20). He stated that average water demand has been 3.8 million gallons per day. He noted that 10 day ago the average demand was 6.3 million gallons of water per day. He stated that the weather has been cool and there has been added moisture, so that it might take a week or two of continual monitoring to determine the overall effects of the water conservation measures. Van Pelt commented that a lot of decrease in water consumption can be attributed to public awareness and the responsible actions of Louisville citizens. 11