This plan sounds to me like it will discourage businesses from providing adequete parking. That's probably an intended consequence, but a terrible idea. We already have severe parking shortages in many areas, which cause parking over-flow into residential neighborhoods.
Dan McGrath Longfellow ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Brauer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 9:28 AM Subject: Re: [mpls] Fee for storm water runoff > > On Nov 1, 2004, at 9:03 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > So now our City Council is going to charge the citizen taxpayers for > > rain. What's next a breathing fee for our air???? City elections in > > 2005 ...keep it in mind folks!!!! > > > > Liz Wielinski > > Columbia Park > > > Actually, this is quite a progressive change. The stormwater fee > replaces part of the current water fee. > > Although the true cost of a sewer system should be based on how much > water you put into it; however, we currently base those fees on water > use. > > This system lets properties with a lot of "hard surface" - for example, > parking lots - get out of paying anything even though their runoff goes > into the sewers. Because parking lots don't use any water, right now > their owners don't pay anything. > > The new system splits out a storm-sewer fee from the water fee. Now, > properties that allow a lot of runoff will be billed, and since the > plan is revenue-neutral (a key point not gleanable from the headline), > properties that allow little runoff will pay less. > > One major beneficiary will be apartment-dwellers. They use a decent > amount of water, but per-person, runoff is relatively low. They will > still pay a fee for the water they use, but relatively less for the > stormwater fee. > > This is a much, much fairer system and it encourages people to do > things to mitigate runoff - which is good environmentally. Rain > gardeners, for example, can get out of 50 percent of the stormwater > fee. > > While there are some devils in the details, they are being worked out. > This is, in my humble, something to be praised. > > David Brauer > Kingfield > > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html > For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
