HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 04-22 Maplewood rejects city water system project DISPATCH Maplewood •rejectsy
,
The Maplewood City cilme�Murdock provements—no way."
Council Thursday reject- and Donald Wiegert Greavu said he does
ed on a 3-2 vote, $10.3 supported the improve- not favor spending "this
million in water system ments. kind of money when the
improvements. The project was over- economy is down." He
THE ACTION came whelmingly opposed by also argued that the city
several weeks after the residents at a public will have to force home-
council voted to reaffirm hearing April 10. owners to hook up to the
its decision to go to a Wiegert said the im- system in order to make
"wholesale" or master provements were needed itpayforitself.
meter system of inde- to provide adequate wa-
pendently distributing ter pressure for fire Bruton said possible
water purchased from St. fighting purposes. boundary changes over
' Paul. . "I think literally we're the next 20 years — at
• Rejection of the im- playing with fire when least water system
provements amounted to we fool around with wa- boundaries — could
'ejection of the master ter supply and water mean duplication of
meter system. pressure,"he said.
Following that vote, Murdock asserted that
the council voted to: councilmen who op-
DECLARE a mora to- posed improvements are
rium on construction in giving in to pressure
areas of the city where from " a percentage of
water pressures are criti- the people."
canylow. "We've got to take the
REFER to its staff for bit in. our teeth and
study the possiblity of make a decision what's
legislation to force the going to happen to this
St. Paul Water Board to c i t y," he said. "All
exist as an independent we're doing is putting it
agency, serving equally off."
"that total area for Anderson w h o had
which it was designed." previously supported a
ALSO REFER to its master meter system,
staff the possiblity of le- made the motion to re-
gal action questioning ject the capital improve-
the enabling legislation, ments.
under which the water He said there are a
board operates, as dis- number of things in the
criminatory against users engineering consultants'
outside the St. Paul city report on the system that
limits. he does not understand,
HAVE the staff inves- such as the use of certain
tigate the negotiation of pipe sizes.
a new retail water ser- "There are too many
vice contract with the things that are hidden in
water board and recom- here," he said. He also
mend capital improve- said the city "can't af-
rnents to eliminate the ford a master meter sys-
c i t y's water pressure tem."
problems. Greavu said he would
Voting to reject the favor only some im-
proposed water improve- provements.
ments were Mayor Rob- "Those areas that we
ert Bruton and Counciil- need (more pressure),
men Norman Anderson fine," he said. "But $10 I
and John Greavu. Coun- million worth of im-
watersystem pi ro ect
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mains with the $10.3. they may not be negotia- charge on water use and to he defined, City Engi-
million project and "the hie with the water board. phasing their construe- neer Bobby Collier said.
citizens of Maplewood tion, rather than build- Theprocess probably
will lose." If St. Paul agrees to a in them all at once. p Y
g g will take about four
master meter system, he weeks,he said.
He also said the cit
Y added, "they must be Following the vote on
has never tried to identi- gaining something." the improvements, Wie- Wiegert warned that
fy land and easement gerts.motion to declare a the city may spend what
costs and.has not "filled Maplewood, r a t h e r construction moratorium it would have saved on
in a contract" with the than St. Paul, will have in areas with pressure . the independent water
St.Paul Water Board. to take on the capital im- problems passed 3 to 2. system on legal costs Bruton also said some re-
provements,he said. Those areas, which in- lated to the moratorium.
dude the vicinity of Lar- Another m o t i o n by
engineers have told him Bruton suggested that penteur and McKnight, Wiegert, to reconsider
"this is not a good sys- Maplewood make the the area north of Rose- the proposed well sys-
tem,". and that there are improvements, financing lawn and the north edge tern once discussed by
"better ways," although them through a sur- of Maplewood,will have the council,failed 1 to 4.