Loading...
Administrative SectionCITY OF CHANHASSEN 690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317 (612) 937 -1900 • FAX (612) 937 -5739 MEMORANDUM TO: Steve Kirchman, Building Official FROM: Jeff Keogh, Mechanical Inspector DATE: September 15, 1997 SUBJECT: Water usage fee Protection of the city's water supply is one of the most important jobs we do. To help protect our eater, the city will not install a water meter without proper backflow protection. In order to prevent unauthorized use of water before the meter is installed, Chanhassen has an ordinance, No. 168, charging a service and water use fee of $100.00 for persons using water without authorization. The reason for this fee is to make sure all water use within the city is properly protected from backflow. Building Official comment: We've had one or two incidents of water system contamination, resulting in illness of users, due to illegal use of City water. I'm an advocate of strict enforcement of code requireme s regarding the use of City waterNqA- g�saftey \j W etters \watmse T r i Updates from City Hal -- September 17 -24 1997 9 � Park & Recreation Department • Construction of the Postal Carrier Annex trail will commence in the next few weeks. • A citizen called to discuss the presence of youth at Kerber Pond Park and minor vandalism. We are responding by sending a CSO to the site after school and by chaining down two garbage receptacles. The receptacles assist the neighbors in policing litter, but without chaining them down, they end up in the lake. • Expansion of the parking lots at the Recreation Center and Bluff Creek Elementary School is underway. Public Safety Department • While we wish to get out of animal control contracting at the end of this year, the other cities would like Chan- hassen to continue another year so that they can make other arrangements. Alternatives are being considered. • A $100 fee for unauthorized contrac- tors turning on water before a meter is installed has been reviewed. The fee is billed to the contractor pulling the permit, even if it's one of their subs. Loss of unmetered water and no backflow prevention are the concerns that the fee seeks to address (memo attached). Planning Department • Bob Generous is speaking at the State Planning Conference in Rochester about the Villages on the Ponds project. • The berm at the Postal Service Annex has not been final graded and therefore the fence cannot be built and the landscaping cannot be planted. We only have a few weeks left in the planting season. Construc- tion of the trail should be completed by the third week in October. • Congregate dining should be open in mid - October. A piece of the hood on the stove has been back ordered and put us behind by six weeks. Public Works Department • Speed limit was raised to 45 mph on CR 17. Project is substantially completed. Administration • The contractor originally selected to construct the retaining wall adjacent to city hall has filed for bankruptcy. Todd Christopherson has successfully negotiated with the second low bidder who has agreed to perform the work in accordance with the specifications. The cost is up slightly, from $12,800 to $13,300. I anticipate signing that contract early next week. • I believe Nancy has talked with most of the council members in regards to changing the budget format. The format she favors is taken from St. Louis Park. It is a much more abbreviated form of document while providing more history and significant narration as to goals and objectives that are attempting to be achieved. If the council agrees to the new format, I believe we could significantly reduce the amount of time spent during the budgetary process and allow for completion of the process much earlier. Hopefully we can discuss this Monday evening. If the council does agree, I would anticipate a partial switch - over for this year's budget with full implementation next year. • We have verified with the auditors office that the back taxes paid by the Bowling Center will be remitted to the city as delinquent taxes - -not foreclosure dollars. The amount will be approximately $50,000 less than previously reported as that was one of the parcels that was decertified in 1996 allowing for recertification of the entertainment complex district in that same year. Accordingly, the 1997 taxes will be sent to the city, county, and school district as delinquent taxes- -not tax increment. The tax increment payment and the delinquency payment will occur in January. -The council can anticipate that the Postal Service landscaping /trail construction will be on next week's agenda. The low bid foi the landscaping is $24,000 with the trail being $14,000. I anticipate presenting both the full landscape plan and well as one that would stay within the overall $32,000 budget. • Rick Rice, our MIS Coordinator, has successfully downloaded all of the files that were on the computer in Hartley's office. Lynn has sold the computer, but would not allow it to be moved until the transformation - was completed. Hartley's office will officially close at the end of thi month. • NSP has contacted the city and is very interested in our GIS records. If we are successful in negotiating a long term contract, I would anticipate moving from the GIS system costing us money to making us money. Next up-- Minnegasco Triax, and Minnesota Valley Electric.