By Anne Thom

A packed house awaited the Stacy City Council Tuesday Oct. 10. A public hearing was held before the regular council meeting to offer citizens the opportunity to express their opinion about water in the city of Stacy.

Emotions were running high and Mayor Michael Carlson finally had to end the public meeting at 7:10 in order to get on to the council meeting.

Though public hearings have been held before on this matter, this was the first time residents turned out in numbers to ask questions about the water tower or how it is going to be funded. The public hearing was on a proposed tax increase.

Some members of the council reminded the audience that the previous council, on which no member of the present council had a seat, had in fact begun the process 10 years ago. Mayor Carlson said the council has discussed the matter both at the previous public hearings and at numerous council meetings and was frustrated that now that the plans are underway, people are showing up to voice an opinion.

The city has talked about a new water tower for 10 years and everyone on the council seemed pleased that it will finally be constructed this year and at a cost they feel is reasonable.

At a March 14 council meeting, residents seemed pleased also to know that the water tower would finally be built and at a location they considered favorable to their neighborhoods.

Though the discussion was civil, most of the residents speaking to the council on the matter were stating the price of the new water tower and the bonds that would finance it and improvements to the Stacy Ponds Business Park were too high.

City Financial Advisor Todd Hagen of Ehlers and Associates was present to try to answer residentsí questions, but the most relevant question ìwill our taxes go upî was answered with ìyesî by all the parties present.

The people were asking for specifics on exactly how much they would be assessed for the projects and how much their rates would increase.

The cost of the water tower bonded for on Sept. 26 was $805,000. Stated on the proposed levy for 2007, which will not be certified to the county until December, the proposed levy then is $65,000 in ìWater Tower bonds.î

That will be $65,000 annually until those bonds are paid off, and will be assessed on property tax bills. The general obligations bonds sold at a rate of 4.21 percent and are to be paid over 20 years.

The financing for the new water tower is to be paid 80 percent by the city through the tax levy and 20 percent by user assessment or fee directly on the city water bills. That 20 percent represents a minimal household user fee increase of about $2 per month per household or $25 annually, and the assessment of hook-up fees for new service.

No one on the council, the financial advisor, nor City Engineer Chuck Schwartz could determine for certain what the cost will be on residentsí individual property tax bills.

The residents were reminded too that the city also bonded for improvements to the business park; the logic being that the city cannot bring in more business that would offset and bring down the property tax burden of residential property owners without bonding for these improvements on city infrastructure.

Councilman John Daher, who is also a Stacy-Lent firefighter, said the water tower was also necessary for delivery of firefighting services. The current water tower holds approximately 70,000 gallons. The new water tower will be more than double that capacity at 200,000 gallons.

One woman said, ìThere are people in this town who are not going to be able to afford to live here any longer.î

Another resident told the council that she has lived in Stacy since 2000, and many like her are on a fixed income. She said that her water bill charges her for 10,000 gallons, and that she has paid $80 routinely, but according to that same bill, has also only ever used approximately 6000 gallons. That represented a $1958.48 payment to the city for water she never used for the last six years. The sewer rate has seen an approximate 3 percent per year increase also, according to City Clerk Sharon Payne.

But another resident said, ìWe need that water tower, we go through the full cycle (of the water that the current tower hold) every day.î

As Carlson closed the public hearing, Stacy residents were again reminded that they should participate in the public process of city business. Most residents declined though to stay for the regular council meeting following but there were numerous small discussion groups out in the parking lot.

The council maintained that they did the right thing for the infrastructure of the community, except for Councilmember Mel Aslakson.

Aslakson reminded everyone that he had asked for a referendum on the proposed levy. Councilman Daher responded again, as he has at previous meetings, that he is unaware of Aslaksonís call for referendum except in recent meetings.

The new Stacy water tower will be built and the bidding process for construction is currently underway.

In other news:

ï Stacy City Liquor Operations Manager Brian Hachey invites the public to the cityís first wine-tasting event at Stacy Wine and Spirits on Oct. 25 from 6-8:00 p.m. The community is invited. Hachey stressed in keeping with the other part of his mission, preventing youth access to alcohol, he wants to run a responsible operation.

The suggestion was then made by Councilman Aslakson and supported by Councilman John Walz that Hachey consider some type of family oriented, alcohol-free event be held at the Stacy Bar and Grill.

Hachey agreed that the entertainment room could be closed off to alcohol for a period of time, possibly on a regular basis. He will get back to the council on plans for more community events.