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Then there are the 8-inch lateral city sewer lines that are constructed under roads and streets to homes. The sewer line through the Watermark neighborhoods of Victoria is part of the city trunk sewer main -- it is a 27 to 30-inch pipe -- and it's from this system that additional trunk sewer main would be extended south to serve the properties south of Lake Wasserman. Asked Councilmember Tom Strigel, "What is the capacity of the line through Watermark?' Replied the city engineer, "About 8,000 homes." That estimate amounts to a density of roughly three homes per acre. *** It was pointed out in a handout that evening that the first three properties (Segal, Meatcutters, and Americana) would perhaps be built out in 10 years. ***
Stated Administrator Uram, "The question before the council is timing of the investment." He was referring to the possible city investment of assistance to developers in order to get the trunk sewer main extended south from Watermark. Councilmember Kim Roden commented on the entire question before them. "If we're living on permit fees for growth, we better recognize that. What do we do when we're built out?" "You can't time the market, even if you're Warren Buffet," she said. "When people move here, we need more school seats and more roads ... "Developers have pretty much taken care of themselves. I'm not worried about developers. I'm not comfortable that we should be expediting development. Housing prices continue to come down. If lots are declining in value, should we be doing this? We can't get money for roads now. We'll have to extend local roads to accommodate the development. "I don't feel it's the right thing to put Kim Roden and Jerry Moja's money into infrastructure development, at least not with the information in front of me tonight. We might want to look at other ways of acquiring city income. I'm not in favor Enterprise Funds." According to online information, "An enterprise fund establishes a separate accounting and financial reporting mechanism for municipal services such as public utilities ... Revenues are recognized when earned and expenses are recognized when incurred ... Enterprise accounting allows the community to demonstrate to the public portions of total costs of a service that are recovered through user charges and other available funds." As Administrator Uram explained, "We use enterprise funds to account for the activity in our utility accounts including water, sewer, and stormwater." Continued Councilmember Roden, "To me, the recent school referendum defeat was telling, even though it was for a narrow focus. It's a cloudy situation for me." Stated Mr. Uram, "The complexity of this whole thing is big." Said Mayor Mary Thun, "I understand what Kim is saying. Where will the additional money come from when the city is built out?" In other words, when there are not more city lots left or available upon which to build homes, what will replace city building permit fees in the city budget? Each new home generates $11,000 in permit fees. There were 68 new homes built in Victoria in 2011. Stated Cara Geheren, the city engineer, in regard to extending the city's trunk sewermain, "The timing feels appropriate, given the calls I've been receiving." She said the property owners south of Lake Wasserman have been interested in developing since back in 2006. Said Councilmember Tom O'Connor, "I'm not so sure we're getting so far out in front of ourselves. It might be the right time to replicate what we did in Watermark." "But what are we giving up?" asked Councilmember Roden. She referred in particular to the city's need for a new Public Works building and new city offices. She said that every time the city spends a dollar in one place, that dollar is not available to spend in another place. Said Councilmember Jim Crowley, "We've got a whole bunch of things to figure out. My concern is that this is not sustainable." ***
The city administrator pointed out that design work on extending the city's trunk sewer main south into the "new" properties would need to begin in March 2012 in order to have the pipes available for connection in July 2013.
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February 2012 |
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