UTILITY COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF THE JULY 9, 2003 MEETING

Present: Alderman Bill Hall, Alderman David Lenhart, Alderman Marcia Hall, and the following City staff: Marc Stachowski, Paul Lee, Dan Christy, Fred Eisenhart. Also in attendance were Bob Schwenger of JBG Rosenfeld, Emilia Izquierdo of JBG Rosenfeld, Jerry Muir of Loiederman Soltese Associates, and Scott Miller of Weinberg and Miller.

The meeting convened at 9:00 am in room 214 at City Hall by the Chairman, Alderman Bill Hall.

Item 1. – Approval of Minutes of June 11, 2003. Approval of minutes were tabled until the meeting of August 13 th, 2003.

Item 2. – Discussion and consideration of a request by Loiderman Soltesz Associates, Inc. on behalf of JBG Rosenfeld, managing agent for Frederick Shopping Center Associates pursuant to a plan to add two pad sites in front of the existing shopping center to add two additional water meters to the existing water service line and waive the requirement to redesign the existing water service for the entire shopping center.

Mr. Jerry Muir of Loiederman Soltesz explained how the 7^th Street Shopping Center wants to add two pad sites and gave a history of the existing shopping center and how it has been built in a series of stages. Mr. Muir stated how the former Ames store wants to sell that building and also how they want to put two pad sites out in the parking field Mr. Muir explained how they need to hook into the existing water system which currently has individually meters for each of the tenant spaces. JBG would like to retain that arrangement and hook into the existing water line with two new interior phone read meters inside the buildings. Mr. Muir also explained how retrofitting the existing systems would be a burden especially on the businesses that are operating on existing leases and how they would have to go back and re negotiate. Mr. Marc Stachowski reviewed the plan and stated that there are 26 meters currently on this site that are read by the City. He explained how two other shopping centers in the City had to install master meters at the property line. Mr. Stachowski stated that the cost of the conversion of the meters would be in the $18,000 to $20,000 range. Alderman Lenhart asked what the differences are in what the City wants and what JBG Rosenfeld is asking for to get a clearer picture Mr.Scott Miller, of Weinberg and Miller, stated that what the applicant is requesting is that the City would read 28 meters instead of the 26 that now exist and not require any of the additional improvements for the installation of the master meter. Mr. Miller explained how this process would not cause a revision in the process that has been in existence for many years. Mr. Stachowski stated that it would be the difference in reading one meter instead of 28. and sending 28 different bills. Alderman Marcia Hall asked if the management company would monitor their own meters. Mr. Stachowski stated that the Management company would have the ability to meter water to individual points and then do their own billing. Ms. Hall asked if the new compliance was one meter per lot regardless of what is on the lot. Mr. Stachowski said yes. Alderman Lenhart asked how much it would cost the City to monitor 28 meters as opposed to one. Alderman Lenhart asked Mr. Stachowski how much time would it take to collapse the other 27 meters into one. Mr. Paul Lee added that in most municipalities it is one meter, one property. Fred Eisenhart suggested that possibly the city could install the master meter and install individual meters and that in the future figure out what the end would be and eventually create one bill. Mr.Bob Schwenger, of JBG Rosenfeld, stated that all of the tenants pay there own water bill now. Lenghty discussion continued as to how leases could possibly be changed. Alderman Lenhart stated that this is why he wanted to know the dollars and cents value. Alderman Lenhart suggested that possibly a surcharge be added. Dan Christy added that there are private companies that do internal metering for these situations. Alderman Bill Hall did not believe the burden should be placed on the applicant simply because the city would like the system to be the way it should be, when the existing meters would have to maintained anyway should the applicant decide not to go forth. Alderman Marcia Hall stated that since the leases would have to be negotiated anyway, that this would be a good time to change the metering. Mr. Miller suggested that possibly the city could have someone from the finance department determine the economic impact or savings from going to one meter as opposed to adding two more. Mr. Lee thought it would add on to the city’s administrative cost and asked if one of the tenants doesn’t pay what recourse does the city have. Emilia Izquierda, of JBG Rosenfeld, stated that it would be the responsibility of the property owner, which has not been a problem in the past. Alderman Lenhart thought that to ask the applicant to redo the meter system to add two caps is an unequable burden. Mr. Lee was concerned that it would be more then just the two in the future. Alderman Marcia thought that this was the best time to make the change since the new construction was going on anyway.

Motion to move – Alderman Lenhart moved to table Item #2 on the agenda for 30 days. In which time the applicant will come back with an matrix of end dates of the leases of the tenants of the shopping center and city staff will come back with estimated cost to support 28 meters as opposed to one meter,and 2) do an inventory of shopping centers in the city. Seconded by Alderman Marcia Hall.

Respectfully submitted ;

Eileen S. Farrar

Secretary