(Committee member Tim Deatrick authors this report on Thursday night's meeting, and we thank him for taking the time to do so)
It took nearly three hours of spirited discussions, including commentary and questions from city councilmen Dan Coffey, Steve Price and Mark Seabrook with observations from Bill Schmidt, but at the end of the evening it was a consensus that this committee supports and recommends the passage of the interim fee ordinance at the next council meeting.
The issue of accurately assessing commercial properties was discussed and it was listed as the first priority in establishing a true rate structure after the interim fee is adopted. Regarding the city council concern that the interim fee should not be an 18-month process, the engineers feel that a 6-month window is more probable.
Despite the occasional issues of sanitation somehow coming up in this discussion, Chad McCormick and his team did an excellent job in keeping the committee on track to discuss the agenda and keep the politics to a minimum.
I am happy to report that the committee made major strides Thursday night and now the city council has unified voice from this committee that says loud and clear -- move forward on this ordinance, and get the program off the ground!
Now the advisory committee can begin its real work. I do have a vested interest in your contributions in that I do not believe that my impact fee should be equivalent to that of a certain Grant Line road...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I believe the SAC can serve as a useful focus group to refine the professional studies required to comply with this federal mandate to manage stormwater runoff.
I'm gratified to see that a consensus was reached to recommend implementation. The last thing this city needs is another futile fight with the EPA.
Tim, is it correct to assume that October is a critical month for passing the ordinance? Is the early April date a non-negotiable deadline for presenting an interim plan for stormwater management?
From your observations, can we expect your friend, the Uncouncilman, to oppose the interim fee? And if so, do you have any clue why?
And how much of that monies will be kicked back in to the community to rid us of said such problems?
ReplyDeleteWill said maonies help pay for a made position to monitor run off and make recommendations for changes?