05-08-2000 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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r O � � ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY, MAY 8, 2000 IA. Adopt Webber Hills Sanitary Sewer Assessment — Resolution No. 4495 continued . check for $5000 to aid in the purchase and installation of the grinder pump, which would be included in the assessment making it a total of $14,500. Or the homeowner can just be assessed for $9,500 and get his own pump. The assessment is over a 15 year period. The assessment is at 8 %. The City had not sold bonds for the project yet. Last year bonds were sold and the assessment was at 6 1/4 %, with 8% being the maximum. There are 2 properties along Brown Road that have been added to the project. Their assessment will be $23,700. The addition of the properties did not increase the cost to Webber Hills homeowners. Mayor Jabbour stated that every homeowner is paying for his/her share of the expenses. The Council assumes they won't have any difficulty getting easements. Kellogg stated that is the assumption. If the City has to pay for easements, it will add to the total project cost. Mayor Jabbour stated the City won't pass that expense to other residents. If the project cost gets out of hand they will abandon it. He reminded everyone that the project was petitioned. He opened the public hearing. Dave Williams of 2055 Webber Hills Road Mr. Williams stated that a staff member said it's a daily battle to keep grinder pumps running and clear and has heard that the West Ferndale project has been changed from grinder pumps to a gravity sewer. Kellogg responded that the West Ferndale grinder pump cans were steel and they have been replaced with polyethylene tanks that will last longer. Williams stated he has a compliant and functioning mound system. He wondered what compensation he would get for hooking up to the sewer system. Mayor Jabbour stated he doesn't have to hookup. Williams replied he will have to pay $20,000 at some point when he refinances or sells the property. Mayor Jabbour stated that some people with functioning systems should not prevent the progress of the neighborhood. All the City can do for those people is allow them to hookup to the sewer when they need to. Williams stated he has received a paper that stated if he opts out there will be a cost of living increase each year. Mayor Jabbour stated that Council understands that there are some new homes or septic systems, so the City has a written policy to let homeowners postpone hookup until they need it. The cost of living increase is based on the construction index. So if you hookup later, you pay the cost of hookup in that year, and not the year when it was billed. Mayor Jabbour indicated the City's property taxpayers are financing the costs until the property - owners hookup to sewer. The cost of living increase simply enables the City to recoup these up -front financing costs. 2