Oliverson to Neier/Irrigation Meter Connection Fees20 July 1998 /YoTb�WE-4AdtLaTE
Glen Neier
Acting City Manager
City of Kalispell
P.O. Box 1997
Kalispell, MT 59903
RE: IRRIGATION METER CONNECTION FEES AT BUFFALO COMMONS
Dear Glen:
It is my understanding that the City Council will be discussing the meter connection fees
for "irrigation" use at tonight's council meeting. As I indicated in my previous letter, the
connection costs for irrigation meters has always been unclear. Buffalo Commons has
been planned and built over a period of many years, involving 3 different City Managers
and 3 different Directors of Public Works. This undoubtably has created some confusion
over a number of different items, including the cost of meter service.
The park system of Buffalo Commons, consisting of approximately 7 acres, was a
requirement of the PUD approval. It is all under one ownership but the park system is
distributed throughout the PUD area. The various park locations requires the need for 5
separate irrigation meter pits. All meter pits were designed for 3/4 inch connections.
However, we discovered that the water pressure is highly variable, depending on location.
For this reason, we had to upsize 2 meter sites to account for reduced water pressure at
those locations. The volume of water "need" did not change.
We are not asking for a waiver of meter connection fees. Instead, we are seeking
clarification of those costs. Although the meters will have only seasonal use, the
connection fees could be based on the cost of a typical meter for a dwelling, which I
believe is $600.00. Accordingly, the total connection fees would be $3,000.00 for the 5
irrigation meter pits. Please let us know if this seems to be a reasonable proposal.
I look forward to clarification of this matter.
Sincerely,
Ji liverson
CEO, Northwest Healthcare
310 Sunnyview Lane • Kalispell, Montana S9901 • 406-7S2-8991