City Council Minutes 1992 11 17 - Laserfiche WebLink

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discounted present value for the fee of a new resident to pay for the old residents water plant that has never been paid for. He told Council that their responsibility as public officials outweighs everything else and that they got elected on a platform of open government. He stated that if they truly intend to separate themselves from policies of the past and open this government to professional scrutiny, the only way they can accomplish this within the context of the fees that they are proposing is that they begin a professional rate study. Steve Wilson, 1400 South Emerson, Denver, CO, representing the Homebuilder's Association of Metropolitan Denver, spoke concerning differential rates depending on housing types, single family, apartments, condominiums, or townhouses. He had done some research on that and found that the proposal that Council is now considering, in terms of a ratio between the housing types and the fee, is one that is accepted pretty much nation wide, in term of peak water use demands and differential rates. He stated that tonight he was speaking in opposition of this ordinance. He requested that the adoption of this ordinance be delayed until a professional rate study is completed, which supports fair and reasonable fees and that the study is done in a manner that is consistent with accepted standards and practices for such studies. He stated that the builders involved in Louisville today are willing to share in the cost of doing such a rate study. The studies can be costly ($25, $30, or $50,000.00) and take a long time. He stated that McLaughlin, a water rate study professional, stated that using the numbers that the City has at their hand and plu.gging them into the type of study thathas been discussed, the contract would be between $5,000.00 and $10,000.00. Davidson called for anyone else in the audience who wished to speak in favor or against Ordinance No. 1082. NONE Davidson closed the Public Hearing and asked for Council comments and. questions. Mayer: I feel this Council has bent over backwards in trying to listen to all sides of this and made significant changes from the original proposal. In this past year we've probably built 8% of the homes in the City. At the rate that we're building, all of the annexed land will be gone in several years. I didn't hear any major objections from the builders when water rates were raised 12% this year. Water rates will be raised by 12% again next year. Last 14