HomeMy WebLinkAbout1974 11-13 3M must pay penalty on late sewer payment REVIEW 3M must pay penalty
on late , sewer payment
by Scott Carlson the penalty is not an option available to attempt to withhold early payment. He
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing the council in the Maplewood Code and to said the company processes more than
(3M Co.) must pay a$5,000 penalty for a cancel or alter the penalty would 175,000 bills each month.
$50,000 sewer bill which was paid when therefore be preferential treatment "When you're paying 175,000 you're
overdue, the Maplewood council decided available to 3M which is not provided going to blow a few," he said.
4-1 Thursday night. other citizens of Maplewood," he said. Councilman Burton Murdock, who was
In explaining the decision, councilman Flesch responded that 3M was not against the penalty when the matter came
Donald Wiegert said they had no choice to trying to get out of the penalty but be before the council Oct. 3, changed his
make any exception since the ordinance charged only a reasonable amount. "We opinion in the meantime.
doesn't allow for exceptions. could be fined for being 90 days late and Murdock said he has never received
Only councilman John Greavu agreed we would still get charged with the same more comment on any topic than the 3M
with the pleas of 3M attorney Claudia size." sewer bill.
Flesch that the 10 percent penalty for Mayor Bob Bruton, displaying little "At first I thought the penalty charge
being four days late was "so sympathy for 3M, said the corporation's was exorbitant." Murdock said. "But if
unreasonable that it can not be enforced." sewer bills have been consistently paid we let them off it would put us in a bad
Flesch argued that the penalty should near the end of pay periods.He calculated light."
match the offense, which she said under that the interest 3M earns by withholding "I would be remiss in relieving you of
Maplewood's interpretation would equate early payment of the$50,000 bills evened the charge," he said.
the penalty with someone who had up the penalty charge for one year. Councilman Norman Anderson, a 3M
committed a felony. Bruton said the purpose of the penalty is (Continued on Page 11)
"I question what harm this has done to to deter late payments. "You weren't
Maplewood," she asked. deterred in paying your next bill," he
Manager Mike Miller said withholding said. 3M
of such a large sewer bill could force the He pointed out the 3M's following bill .
city to issue bonds. "It's not a simple could have been considered late on a (Continued from Page 1)
matter of borrowing $50,000 for a few technicality. "It's your decision to hold employee and criticized by Flesch for
days," Miller said. back until the last day," Bruton said. voting Oct.3,said"I feel you were wrong
Miller, in addition,urged the council to However a representative from 3M's in trying to challenge me. We (3M) get
reaffirm the penalty. "To alter or cancel central paying system said there is no enough bad publicity."
Anderson suggested it would have been
better for 3M to quietly pay the penalty.
Greavu, in keeping in line with his
original position,felt the penalty amount
was ridiculous.