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<br />~ <br />~HILLS <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />DATE: January 4,2005 <br /> <br />TO: Michelle Wolfe, City Administrator <br /> <br />FROM: Murtuza Siddiqui, Finance Director/Treasurer <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Damage Due to Sewer Back-Up (Confidential Pending Litigation) <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />On June 25, 2003, sometime around 3:00 AM, there were sewer back-ups in three homes in <br />Arden Hills. The back-ups were due to the failure of a Lift Station(s). Around midnight, on this <br />day, there was a big storm with lightening. The lightening hit one of our Lift Stations that <br />caused it to malfunction, The malfunction caused the sewer back-up, which resulted in damage <br />to three properties. . <br /> <br />DISCUSSION: <br />As you are aware, all of our Lift Stations are connected to an alarm system which is activated <br />anytime there is a malfunction, In this situation, the alarm did work properly, Electro- <br />Watchman, the monitoring service company, notified one of our 0 & M staff persons about the <br />alarm around midnight. The staff person notified was not the individual on call that night. This <br />individual informed Electro-Watchman that he was not on call that night and provided the name <br />of the individual who was on call that night. It was assumed that Electro-Watchman would have <br />contacted the other staff person who was on call, However, there is no evidence that the person <br />who was actually on call was notified by Electro- Watchman, <br /> <br />Around 3:00 AM, the residents contacted the Sheriffs Office to inform about the sewer back. <br />The Sheriffs Office was able to establish contact with the City's staff who responded to the call. <br />Apparently, a number of Lift Stations were impacted by this storm and 0 & M staff were <br />working on these Lift Stations as well as attending to the customers who were directly impacted <br />by the sewer back. <br /> <br />The three residents impacted by the sewer back-up filed insurance claims with their respective <br />insurance companies and were reimbursed by them, The claims filed were for the following <br />amounts: Matuals' $9,677,72; Frids' $34,735.83; Carrolls' $8,000 - $10,000 (not settled), The <br />insurance companies representing the Matuals' and Frids' have filed a lawsuit against the City of <br /> <br />. <br />