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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,November 21, 2011 Page 27 tioned whether the community could sustain the goals of the CIP Task Force and all the other impacts. Mayor Roe opined that the alternative was to do nothing. Councilmember Pust responded that everything was not black and white; and while she understood the rationale in not phasing it in, she spoke in support of phasing the cumulative package. Mayor Roe noted that this was one perspective; and opined that the public would provide their input as well; and this was the rationale in the CIP Task Force providing the information to the public early on in the process, in June of 2011. Along those same lines as addressed by Councilmember Pust, Councilmember McGehee reiterated her previous calculations on impacts of loss of homestead credit; increased utility fees; and her preference to have seen different versions for consideration. Councilmember McGehee noted past discussion on conservation tiered systems for water rates; noting that the City's rates currently reflected the highest base rates in the metropolitan area; and expressed her shock at the pro- posed rate increases. When considering the utility rate increases proposed to ad- dress infrastructure CIP needs, the bond interest for the fire station and parks im- provements, reductions in homestead credit, and other factors, Councilmember McGehee opined that this represented almost a 70% increase in people's taxes in 2014; and she wondered what the Council majority was thinking. Councilmember McGehee asked Mr. Miller to evaluate a tiered water system, based on conservation use; and to explain why seniors were proposed for a 40% increase and commercial properties only a 21%increase. Mayor Roe noted that, as an example, seniors would get a 40% increase on a total rate of$66.00; and commercial properties had significantly higher base rates than residential users. Mayor Roe noted the need to look at dollar impacts, not just percentages. Mayor Roe advised that conservation water rates would be taken up at later time, as it had been included in previous discussion for the City Council's 2012 work plan. Councilmember Willmus, for his own understanding and not necessarily from a certain point of view, noted Councilmember Pust's comments on 2012 property tax statements for 2011 payable taxes; and provided his personal impact with a 1.4%overall increase. Councilmember Willmus noted the variables among prop- erties.