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Councilmember Burg believed there was a misconception on water bills and stated some of the expense was to <br />assist with paying for the water infrastructure and not just the water itself. <br />Councilmember Bauman questioned if the City should consider seasonal rates for those residents that were <br />snowbirds. Davitt explained that the City still incurred expenses year round for the water and sewer lines. <br />Councilmember Strub feared the repercussions of making an exception for one age group and how this would <br />be perceived by other residents in need. <br />Mayor Johnson asked if the Council would support offering a $20 discount to families receiving assistance <br />from the County. <br />Councilmember Jacobsen supported a $10 discount for families receiving assistance. He agreed with <br />Councilmember Strub that the Council needed to better understand how many homes were using less than <br />8,000 gallons. <br />Councilmember Bauman suggested the minimum fee for 8,000 gallons be reduced. <br />Lotter discussed how utility rates were currently based on usage. However, residents must also understand that <br />the rate structure also takes into consideration the City's infrastructure. He stated these fees were fixed for <br />each resident. He provided further comment on the City's water enterprise fund balance. <br />Councilmember Bauman wanted to see how many people were paying the minimum in the City of New <br />Brighton. She wanted to see the system balanced and have a fair price for those using minimal services. <br />Mayor Johnson commented on the importance of water conservation. She wanted to learn how many people <br />were using more than 15,000 gallons. <br />Councilmember Burg was interested in hearing more ideas from staff on how to address the water rates. <br />Councilmember Strub stated one option would be for the City to keep the rates as is. Another option would be <br />to discuss he water rates at an upcoming neighborhood meeting or Town Hall to allow for additional input <br />from the public. <br />Councilmember Bauman believed the community needed to understand more about the expense to support the <br />City's infrastructure. <br />Mayor Johnson turned the conversation to the presentation City Clerk Haarstad has been providing to the <br />City's commissions. Haarstad explained the presentation has been well received by has raised a lot of <br />questions about Open Meeting law and personal devices. <br />Mayor Johnson discussed the commission chairs ability to run a meeting. She suggested the City provide some <br />form of training for the commission chairs to assist them in running a meeting. Lotter stated he could discuss <br />this matter further with Haarstad and could invite the commission chairs and vice chairs to City Hall for <br />training on meeting decorum. <br />Mayor Johnson excused Davitt from the meeting. <br />Mayor Johnson reported she would be amending the agenda for the Council meeting and would be making a <br />