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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,June 11, 2012 Page 19 Nays: None. e. Adopt Cleanup Assistance Policy Regarding Sanitary Sewer Back-ups Public Works Director Duane Schwartz and Assistant Finance Director Brenda Davitt provided an overview of the proposed policy as revised, based on previ- ous City Council discussions and direction to staff; and as detailed in the RCA dated June 11, 2012. Mr. Schwartz reviewed those revisions as they related to actual work performed by remediation contractors; flexibility in the policy to allow the City Council to have discretion depending on the severity of an event and/or on a case by case basis; and information provided by Finance Director Chris Miller on the esti- mated annual cost of the program, with recommendations for base sewer rates adjusted for residential properties accordingly. Regarding installation of backflow prevention devices, Mr. Schwartz advised that staff recommended limiting reimbursement up to $300 per home for the de- vice only, not its installation, since those costs were quite variable and could be quite expensive based on the device selected and their location in the home. Mr. Schwartz advised that the City's Building Officials had determined that the devices could not be required by City Code unless the City performed a study to identify specific properties that could or would be vulnerable to such a backup, based on their topography and/or nature of the significant events. However, Mr. Schwartz advised that staff was not recommending such a provision at this time. Regarding an effective date for implementation of the policy, Mr. Schwartz ad- vised that upon consultation with the City Attorney, they recommended that the policy not be pre-dated prior to its adoption. Councilmember Pust spoke in support of the policy, and thanked staff for de- velopment of it. Councilmember Pust expressed one concern regarding process and how and if the City was notified in conjunction with a private contractor, when the homeowner would sign the agreement, and how and when it was accu- rately determined if the backup was in the City's system or the private system. Mr. Schwartz clarified that the policy would not cover homeowner private lines, only if the City checked the main line and it was determined that it was or was not a City main issue. Councilmember Pust expressed concern with how the policy was written (page 1) and how it was determined which part of the system was city versus private. Councilmember Pust expressed concern that the public may not have a clear understanding of that language; and suggested the need for more clarification and not leaving it open to interpretation.