Laserfiche WebLink
Member Ficek asked regarding the local sales tax going to the Legislation by the <br />Council, will there be a limit on the number of years or will it be indefinite. <br />Mr. Culver indicated the time period could be up to twenty years, but essentially <br />once enough money is collected to pay for the projects identified then the sales tax <br />would stop. <br />Member Ficek asked regarding the railroad crossing item, will this be a quiet zone <br />or just a couple day work zone. <br />Mr. Freihammer indicated this would be a two-day work zone replacing the gate. <br />Chair Wozniak asked if Tamarack Park was one of the six pathway approved. <br />Mr. Culver indicated Tamarack Park was one of them. He explained there was a <br />lot of conversation about that park and Eustis Park. Staff is going to communicate <br />with the neighborhood as fast as possible and staff will be putting together an <br />estimate of what it would cost to do an alleyway type of facility adjacent to the <br />pathway. Given the fact that there is a wetland there, either the City would have to <br />fill in a wetland or they would have to go around the wetland through park property. <br />The latter probably is not afeasible option because the City would not give up park <br />land. There would be a significant cost to it, given some of the geometric and <br />topographic issues through the wetland as well as the environmental impact to also <br />consider. <br />5. 2022 Proposed Utility Rates <br />Mr. Culver explained each year City staff proposed utility rates for the following <br />budget year. The rates are for all City utility funds including water, sanitary sewer, <br />storm sewer and recycling. The Commission is asked to provide feedback on the <br />proposed utility rates. <br />Vice -Chair Ficek wondered about the water, there was a big change to go to the <br />usage fee, and he wondered if that changed any behaviors. <br />Mr. Culver explained what is interesting is the first year under the new rate structure <br />the State went through a drought. They actually saw a substantial increase in the <br />amount of irrigation, at least early in the summer. The City also implemented <br />watering restrictions as well in August. There was a significant drop in water usage <br />between July and August due to suggested watering restrictions. He explained 2021 <br />was not a good year to gauge that by. <br />Vice -Chair Ficek indicated material costs went up substantially. He wondered <br />when the calculations were made and is the City thinking about inflation and how <br />that comes into play and whether the estimates are higher or lower on the capital <br />costs across the board. <br />Page 2 of 6 <br />