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Mr. Freihammer stated it would, otherwise there would need to be a residential <br />multi -family base rate for each meter size, and he did not know how that would be <br />determined. <br />Chair Cihacek wondered if they are treated as residential to the degree that <br />the gap would be closed <br />Mr. Culver stated the way the City Finance Department recommends the rates, <br />whether it is sewer or water and stormwater, the department calculates how much <br />money is needed to fund staff and the planned CIP improvements. He explained <br />the process to the Commission. He stated if a new category were to be created then <br />ultimately that is going to be a percentage of the base residential rate. <br />Member Misra stated as the Commission looks at how to adjust whether there <br />should be various rates, it seems to her that a big motivator is about water use and <br />encouraging conservation. From the data staff is showing water use from the multi - <br />tenant buildings is more efficient. <br />Mr. Culver stated on average the population of each of those units is probably <br />smaller than a typical single-family home which is why the Commission is seeing <br />it looks like it is more efficient. <br />Member Trainor stated thinking back to why the Commission started on residential <br />review was to help to increase water conservation by penalizing heavy users. With <br />Commercial it doesn't seem like that is what the Commission is trying to do, it is <br />more a matter of fairness and is that reason sufficient to make the kind of changes <br />being discussed. <br />Member Kors stated the condo's and apartments can have pools and recreational <br />items as well just like a house could. <br />Chair Cihacek thought looking ahead he thought Member Misra brought up good <br />points, but he did not know how to get to where it should be, but he thought the <br />Commission could get to where the City wants to be focusing on conservation. <br />Member Misra thought one of the reasons why the Commission asked staff to look <br />at commercial versus residential was to find out who the really big water users were <br />that are not residential. One of the things she learned is the City is classifying a lot <br />of residential as commercial and what she was trying to get at is if those were <br />removed from commercial to try to figure out the original question of who the really <br />big commercial water users are. <br />Member Trainor thought one of the outcomes of what Mr. Freihammer has <br />presented is the irrigation use for the really big users is virtually insignificant in <br />comparison. When talking about a homeowner and conservation, he thought there <br />was a lot of ground to work with and an appropriate initiative but for the City to go <br />Page 9 of 11 <br />