ORDER-2016-33 : BE IT ORDERED that the City shall cause all water meters in the City to be read between June 15th and June 30th of each year for the purpose of issuing water and sewer bills for the quarter ending June 30th.

Transcript (~6 min @ 1:33:56)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 1:33:44 Peter D. Mortimer: Any opposed? Opposed. It looks as though with ten members in attendance that three were in favor and seven were opposed. The motion to recommend this order for passage fails.

▶ 1:34:08 Peter D. Mortimer: The next order we have before us is order 2016-33. The order that the city shall cause all water meters in the city to be read between June 15th and June 30th of each year for the purpose of issuing water and sewer bills for the quarter ending June 30th, sponsored by President Kahn.

▶ 1:34:35 Peter D. Mortimer: On discussion or motion, President Kahn, your order, sir.

▶ 1:34:41 Speaker 4: You know, for several years we've been grappling with the water bills and the transition from one rate to another rate. And back a long time ago, now actually almost a year ago, I filed this order. And in my judgment, trying to telescope down a period of time so that all meters had to be read within two weeks, seemed to me to be the best and most logical way to narrow down any discrepancy between one rate payer's bill and another. And I still think that.

▶ 1:35:23 Speaker 4: But the Water and Sewer Committee deliberated on this. They disagreed with me. They came up with another solution. that solution is going to be implemented shortly

▶ 1:35:41 Speaker 4: i i honestly think if we were to adopt this as an ordinance it would be a good way to lessen the problem uh of rates overlapping from one year into the next and retroactive billing um to a minimal amount and um i was disappointed that uh that the committee didn't city water and sewer committee didn't agree um you know i still think that this is a viable solution i don't know what's going to happen with the new solution um it's being that well it's been implemented by the board of aldermen uh and uh will be initiated in billings shortly but um i felt that this was a good and appropriate order at the time i still feel that way i will point out that this order expires on september 21st of 2016 which is two days after our next meeting so if it were not voted up or down at our next meeting it would die in which case i would have to determine whether i thought it was such a good order that i wanted to refile it or whether i could come up with a different idea but it's just something that i thought was a good common sense solution to the problem and i still feel that way and i would suggest uh you know i'm sure that there's no chance of passing this order at this time but perhaps if if the committee could send it forward to the full board for our next meeting without recommendation at least it would be before us and it could still be discussed if there was

▶ 1:37:24 Peter D. Mortimer: interest in discussing this order thank you president connor i can take that then as a motion that you are moving that this ought to be sent forward to the full board for our next meeting without recommendation that's the second most second i believe uh alderman inferno beat everyone else by a hair oh was that alderman Medeiros by a hair so this order to send this motion to send this order to the full board um without recommendation has been made by president con and duly seconded by alderman Medeiros on discussion alderman Medeiros please thank you

▶ 1:37:56 Monica C. Medeiros: and uh i'd like to follow up and clarify that um you know i i had been at the water and sewer

▶ 1:38:10 Monica C. Medeiros: committee meeting in which this order was discussed at the time the discussion i had some orders pending at the same time the discussion was that they had wanted the consultant to review this order along with the others and you know that that never happened to my

▶ 1:38:27 Monica C. Medeiros: knowledge so I know this has been there I reckon I understand the sentiment that I think President Kahn has just discussed and trying to ensure that the water meters were read within a certain amount of time at this time I believe the right thing to do is to send it forth to the full board without recommendation but i i would hope that if we do have a discussion that we might consider amending this to read

▶ 1:39:01 Monica C. Medeiros: that the city shall cause all water meters in the city to be read not less than 15 days prior to the implementation of a rate change and if we are in fact committed to you know not retroactively billing anyone I think that that would solve the problem regardless of when the rate change was actually implemented so I would hope to propose that in September and just want to let

▶ 1:39:36 Speaker 6: that be known Thanks Thank You alderman Medeiros seeing no further alderman

▶ 1:39:39 Peter D. Mortimer: wishing to be heard the motion made by President Kahn on his order to send this forward to the full board for our next meeting without recommendation said motion duly seconded by Alderman Medeiros is before us all in favor aye any opposed hearing none this order will be recommended to our next full board meeting on September 19th without recommendation motion to adjourn Alderman Boisselle has made a motion to adjourn tonight's appropriations meeting Duly seconded by Alderman Forbes. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. The Appropriations Committee is hereby adjourned. Thank you, one and all.