Fwd: [Mpls] A little media disagreement

[David Brauer]

Dean Zimmermann's aide Natalie Collins speedily reconciled the=20
reporting discrepancy between Nick Coleman and I.

Nick's subject owns a duplex =97 lumped together with all multi-family=20=

uses for stormwater fees. I was writing about single-family homeowners=20=

... who are probably most of Nick's readers.

Personally, I think Nick should've specified his subject's home also=20
included a rental unit, so the majority of his readers would know his=20
example didn't apply to them (the rates for single-family homes are=20
capped at $10.90 a month).

That said, I wish we'd added the duplex angle to our reporting for=20
readers who live in that type of housing. Natalie writes that "in Ward=20=

6, the vast majority of our complaints have been from duplex owners."

She adds, "The City's stormwater fee formula assumes that multifamily=20
residential has more impervious surface mainly due to greater=20
off-street parking.=A0 Duplex owners who have the footprint of a single=20=

family home should file a dispute and have their fee calculated on=20
actual impervious surface, rather than the estimated percent of=20
impervious surface applied to all multifamily housing uses."

It's more interesting when you have more facts. Thanks to Natalie for=20
the speedy response!

David Brauer
Kingfield
Editor, SW Journal and Skyway News=