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the water side the language for commercial and industrial was clarified. There is also a <br />clarification that if you live on a corner property you only get assessed on the lineal foot frontage <br />on the one (1) side you are connecting to. The rates are all the same regarding sewers but the <br />wording was changed slightly to make it clearer so people can calculate their assessments. In <br />regards to the compact fees, the proposed bill states they remain in effect after anyone who <br />connected after June 2002 but they will not be charged until January 2017 and the first bill would <br />go out at the end of 2017. That fee will be thirty (30) percent difference between the County and <br />City affective tax rate. We got rid of the water section for compact fees. Finally, there were a few <br />exemptions added to the assessments including exempting anyone prior to July 1St. Also, in cases <br />where the cost of the water or sewer was covered by an entity other than the City, the Board has <br />a right to enter into reimbursement agreements or wave assessments. The idea for this is that if <br />some other entity pays for these lines, we wanted to have the ability to do reimbursement <br />agreements up front where we could wave the assessment. For reconnections, where there <br />already is existing infrastructure, they would be exempt as well as those who have already paid <br />assessments. This is for both residential and commercial properties. <br />Chairperson Dr. Varner asked if that is an incentive to redevelop old properties. <br />Mr. Horvath responded that language is important because the assessment is meant to recover <br />costs for extending new water and sewer and if you don't have to extend those lines the City <br />really has no costs to recover. These lines that were built years ago have already been paid for <br />and we don't need to recover that cost. There is still the tap fee but not assessment fee. If the City <br />Redevelopment Commission builds sewer or water, they have the ability to enter into an <br />agreement to wave the assessments as well if they wished. Any assessments that have been <br />collected from 2002 to date, we wanted to reserve the right to retain those funds. <br />Chairperson Dr. Varner asked who would be paying these fees and in what circumstances would <br />these fees be processed. <br />Mr. Horvath responded if the City extends water or sewer service, anyone connecting would pay <br />these fees for any new extensions. If City funds, other than redevelopment, are used to extend <br />new lines than there are no exemptions. If the water or sewer are paid for by an entity other than <br />the City, then they can enter into agreements to have those waived or reimbursed. <br />Committeemember Randy Kelly arrived at 5:46 p.m. <br />Mr. Horvath provided a handout which had a table showing the different assessment fees for <br />South Bend, Mishawaka and Elkhart based on an average residential lot. The hard part of these <br />comparisons is that the three (3) cities all do their calculations differently. The comparison is on <br />file in the City Clerk's Office. Mishawaka actually has three (3) different ways to assess and they <br />take the highest of the three (3). <br />Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski- Farrand asked if Redevelopment is the only entity to have <br />the authority to enter into the development agreements. <br />Mr. Horvath responded yes, the Redevelopment Board is the only entity. <br />N <br />