[Mpls] A little media disagreement

[David Brauer]

On Apr 15, 2005, at 3:01 PM, Dorothy Titus wrote:

> The stormwater rate is multipled by the number of ESUs (estimated =20
> stormwater
> units) that the property has been assigned.  So it most definitely IS
> possible to have a $37 bump up in fees.

Dorothy's woes are a screw-up in administering the policy, not the =20
policy itself. See:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/stormwater/what-we-do/=20
SewerStormwaterRateResolution.pdf

The city bases its stormwater rate on an $8.72 ESU (it stands for =20
Equivalent Stormwater Unit, by the way).

The city gets its three new rates by multiplying the ESU.

The low rate is three-quarters of an ESU: 8.72 x . 75 =3D $6.54 a month
The basic rate is one ESU =3D $8.72 a month
The high rate is 1.25 ESUs: 8.72 x 1.25 =3D $10.90 a month

That's as high as the law says it can go for single-family homes.

I should also mention that the thrust of my editorial (which won't be =20=

online until Monday) is the same as Nick's - the fee is too regressive. =20=

My suggestion is to create a higher rate =97 it's abysmal that the =20
biggest single-family home with the most hard surface in the city would =20=

pay only 60 percent more than the smallest home with the least hard =20
surface.

I don't have a problem, though, with charging properties with lots of =20=

hard surface more for the stormwater sewer upkeep than they've =20
previously paid.

Minneapolis is supposedly a progressive city and needs to make this fee =20=

more progressive.

I'm at the top rate, by the way, and should be.

Good luck with the appeal.

David Brauer
Kingfield