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CITY OF SOUTH BEND i OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> Councilmember Broden continued, Per the maps that we saw during the budget process or that I <br /> know I saw during our flooding. There was a not a single street in the City of South Bend, or it <br /> was very low,who weren't affected. So we are already paying for it. I think we are acutely aware <br /> that our residents are already paying for this in terms of damage to their households,ok? So having <br /> said that, though, I want to make sure that on the simplified system, I appreciated the different <br /> variables that were gauged in the first (1st) draft of this. So help me with the two dollars ($2) and <br /> five dollars ($5). I'm just going to say it, five dollars ($5) seems like a low-ball number for a <br /> commercial property just based on wherewithal, right? In some regards and just size. So what <br /> informed, and I'll go back to the original question, this two dollars ($2) and five dollars ($5)? <br /> Mr. Horvath replied, So even to do any type of tiered rates, we would have to do two (2) things. <br /> One(1), we would have to calculate the amount of impervious surface on every single individual <br /> property. Otherwise, we can't figure out what tier they're in. Secondly, we would have to <br /> manipulate their bill. So the problem is,we would spend a lot of money doing that because we will <br /> have a firm come in, we'll figure out the impervious surface, then have someone come in and do <br /> each bill. And rather than spend that money and have someone pay twenty dollars ($20) a month <br /> instead of five dollars($5)but use that money for outside consulting,we wouldn't really reach our <br /> ability to do more projects. We thought to simplify it. It is not a perfect system. We will more <br /> toward a more perfect system although we know no system is always perfect. There are always <br /> winners and losers in any rate structure. So we will move to what most people perceive as a more <br /> equitable process by doing impervious surface which is what the majority of folks do. We wanted <br /> to initially establish these rates and make it simple so that we are not spending a lot of <br /> administration overhead dollars. <br /> Councilmember Broden followed up, Ok I got that and that does make sense. Now how about the <br /> assumptions that could be made from Assessor records? And then maybe an appeal process? I <br /> know how much sidewalk I have, you know what I'm saying? Those records that have that detail <br /> or those assumptions that could be made on the square footage and the roof that is over that square <br /> footage and then the driveway. Isn't that broken down in some regard already? <br /> Councilmember Voorde stated, All that information should be available in the Assessor's Office. <br /> Kara Boyles,Deputy Director of Public Works with offices located on the 13th floor of the County- <br /> City Building, stated, It is not. The actual impervious area is not calculated. The area of the parcel <br /> would be calculated. <br /> Councilmember Voorde interjected,Yeah the parcel but then if you take the square footage of the <br /> structure and the square footage of the parking lot, which are separate assessable items, subtract <br /> that from the size of the parcel, you could end up there. <br /> Ms. Boyles replied, This ordinance is by customer account which, again, makes it different than <br /> the traditional system that would have gone through the tax parcel. If you are an entity that has <br /> multiple accounts, you might have five (5)bills so you would be paying five(5) times. <br /> Councilmember Broden stated, So that was one(1) question. <br /> Committee Chair Teshka stated, If I could, we are way over time as it is and I know this is <br /> important,I have some questions myself and some things to add.We also still have to do the public <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov <br /> 9 <br />