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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 _______ 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.