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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 03-11 Mayor changes mind on independent water system DISPATCH Mayor chc�n s mind on Independent io'Maplewood M a y o r sen tng. reavu has al- the possib ity that Ma- tion of gambling," he R o b e r t Bruton has ways opposed the con- plewood in the future said. changed his mind on an cept. will be involved in re- I F MAPLEWOOD independent water dis- Under the independ- gional government in the takes on responsibility tribution system for Ma- ent s y s t e m, the city form of a proposed City for building its own wa- plewood, he said last would buy water whole- of Ramsey or a metro- ter facilities, Bruton said, week. sale from St. Paul and politan water board. it will have to build BRUTON, who pre- The mayor said he mains on boundary viously favored the sys- wants the city to contract streets, thus duplicating M® ieWOOd with St. Paul for a retail neighboring tern, now says a retail A facilities of nei hborin system for purchasing system "and see what cities in some areas, and water from St. Paul - resell it to Maplewood we can negotiate" in the will have to complete the present arrangement residents. Residents now way of rates, timing of "loops" in mains that T in Maplewood — its a buy water from St. Paul construction of facilities now loop in St.Paul. better alternative, at least at retail rates. and other matters. IF RAMSEY County for now. • Bruton said several If, in five years or so, municipalities were then THE CITY council last f a c t o r s changed his city officials decided to organized into one city, week voted 3,2 to reaf- m i n d, including the go to a wholesale sys- of if Maplewood's water firm its position on the economy, the cost of fa- tem, he said, "we could system became part of a independent s y s t e m, cilities M a p l e w o o d review it again." metropolitan system, the with Bruton and Coun- would have to build un- THE CITY council to- , mayor said, $2 million to cilman John Greavu dis- der its own system and night is expected to set a' $3 million of expendi- -. — date for a public hearing tures we would impose on $10.2 million in pro- would have been need- posed improvements the lessly expended." city would undertake Another factor in his over a three-year period change of outlook, Bru- in going to an independ- ton said, is that city offi- ent system. cials have learned the Of that cost,about$1.5 c a p i t a l improvement million would be as- program must be imple- sessed to property own- mented in one phase, ers. The remainder rather than two, because w o u 1 d come from of problems with the St. charges to users. Paul water system. THE IMPROVE- St. Paul has told the MENTS include two ele- 3M Co., which accounts vated storage tanks, two for 55 per cent of the wa- booster pump stations, ter used by Maplewood, one underground water that St. Paul cannot storage facility, roughly guarantee enough water 20 miles of water mains to meet 3M's needs this and other costs. summer,Bruton said. Bruton said those capi- If Maplewood stays tal improvements are a ,with a retail operation, commitment that, "once he said, the necessary made, has to be paid for improvements will not regardless of what hap- have to be made all.at pens politically" with once and some of them metropolitan" g o v e r n can be made by St.Paul. ment proposals. A RESERVOIR t o Maplewood's . water serve 3M could be built rates could go don un- within St. Paul, he said. der a retail .system if "If we go wholesale, such political . changes we'll have to put it in were to occur, he said, Maplewood a n d' our whereas the rates would people will have to pay stay up if the.city were for it,"he said. committed to a whole- Basically, Bruton said, sale system. the project is being pro- "It gets into a ques- posed at a bad time eco- - — 1 nomically and will create hardship for some Ma- plewood residents. The assessments will. be made against "people. who don't know it's water system coming and probably though such a vote will be opposed to it," would not be required he said. for the project. Greavu said he feels. Some of the expendi- the city "can't afford the ture could end up on the $10 million now." He tax rolls, he asserted. "If said any expenditures (the people) want to for capital improvements spend the money it's up for the water system to them," he said, "and should be put to a vote the same goes for the of the p e o p 1 e, even golf course."