HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 06-03 Maplewood awaits report befor next water move REVIEW Maplewood r
e ort
before next
water
p mOVe
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by Scott Carlson ( 7 7
The next round of negotiations for the for adequate water pressure since it is
Maplewood Council in its continuing ef- paying for a service, one that costs ntial, Huset Concerning the aid wthar nh the
di r
forts to reach some kind of water contract Maplewood 35 percent more than most St. step of the scale Maplewood residents,with the St.Paul Water Board Paulites.
ul, are
will be delayed until a consultant's report But in an interview with the Review, a shin charges than four miles ofin St. Paulites.paying
on water system alternatives is presented after the meeting, Elmer Huset, general But he added that the Water Board
some time in July. manager of the Water Board, said the seems inclined to look at the whole rate
That council consensus was informally Water Board has been living up to its structure and to conduct negotiations on
reached at an ad hoc meeting with the agreement to provide adequate water it.
committee of the Water Board last week. pressure "at the city's points of con- "I think a spirit of working together was
The councilmen, with the exception of nection." vital this
Burton Murdock, came to explain their `'To get the right pressure at some of addedn that rlack og major said.results he
concerns. The Water Board committee the higher elevations will require the should be construed as meaning the two
did the same and the anticipated clash of construction of booster stations," Huset sides are at an impasse.
differing viewpoints did not erupt. said. "These would be the obligation of Despite a desire to move ahead with
"It was a peaceful meeting," Mayor the city of Maplewood. negotiations to reach a settlement both
Robert Bruton said. "It could have been "There is no way for the Water Board to sides have agreed that they should wait
explosive but it wasn't." boost the pressure all over just to boost for the Kirkham Michael report, Bruton
City Manager Michael Miller agreed. the pressure at higher elevations," he said.
"Before there has been some back and continued.
l and the
forth exchange of harsh words," he said. Huset said that the engineering aspects Board mayat want to"After the sit 1 down toge here"
"This time it was the passing of in- "become vital to the problems." Miller said.
formation."
Minnesota State Senator John Milton,
DFL-White Bear Lake,was in attendan,--
qt the meeting. -*U Fi 7),
The council came partly to ex;¢la
where it stands on what kind of 'water
system it wants.Up until a recent council
vote it appeared the city was headed for
establishment of a wholesale master
meter water system.
But at a regular meeting in April the
council gave a thumbs-down vote on a
resolution to order some $10 million in
water improvements, the bulk of which
would have begun the establishment of a
master meter water system.
Now the council has returned its in-
terest back to the St. Paul retail system.
It has also contracted with Kirkham
Michael Associates to review other water
system alternatives, including well
water.
Bruton and Councilman Donald Wiegert
.n.dtate the city is giving careful con-
sideration to the retail system again. "We
didn't close the door on wholesale,"
Bruton noted, however. "There are five
people on the council and there are still a
lot of factors to consider."
Wiegert,who said the meeting was not
remarkable, feels encouraged that the
Water Board Committee indicated some
flexibility towards the review of
Maplewood's studies.
But when substantial results will
materialize or what kind of a system
Maplewood will finally wind up with are
two unknowns Wiegert is hesitant to
venture predictions.
Wiegert, however, predicted, "I'm
somewhat afraid that we are in for a long
haul."
Maplewood learned that there is no way
St. Paul Water Board will build a retail
system for the city.
One item that is a major concern with
councilman John Greavu has been the
Water Board's inability to provide
adequate water pressure to some parts of
the city. He contends the city is entitled