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has two children. She said she is from South America and her husband is from <br />Africa and they did not know how to buy a house. Ms. Gomez-Alborello stated <br />that her neighbor said that four years ago MSD wanted to buy the house, as <br />there is nothing they can do for it. She would like the City to include her house in <br />the buy-out plan. <br />13. <br />Nazaree Burns, 1150 Wilson <br />Ms. Burns thanked Council for approving the budget and Wilson Ave buy-out. <br />She was concerned over a newspaper article quoting the City Manager Ms. Feier <br />quoted in an article entitled “UCity Homeowner’s Remain in Flood Limbo” She <br />said the article stated that because the City has no documented damage and <br />making environmental assessments before receiving Federal money, it could <br />take a year for buy-out money to reach home owners. Feier said, that those who <br />qualify will get paid the value of their homes before the flooding occurred, but it <br />doesn’t include the cost of furnaces, water heaters, dryers, washers and dryers <br />that many had to replace to make their homes livable again. She is hoping this <br />will not take a year. <br />M. COUNCIL COMMENTS <br />Ms. Ricci stated that the Mayor’s retirement party is in the budget for $5,000 and did <br />not know anything of the $500 and would like to get to the bottom of it. In follow-up <br />to Ms. Jensen, she asked what is going to happen if the tax initiative does not pass <br />as this budget is predicated on its passage. It is currently not on the ballot, not voted <br />on, not passed and currently not generating the $480,000 that Council is counting on <br />to balance the budget. She is turning to the City Manager and the rest of Council for <br />an answer for what happens if the tax initiative does not pass and what if it does not <br />generate the $480,000 projection. Ms. O’Daniels asked for a periodic report as to <br />what is going on with the time line and she feels it is a good idea and asked the City <br />Manager to see this happens. Ms. Ricci asked where the City is in setting up the <br />agenda on website as to where residents can sign up for it to be sent to them <br />electronically. She offered for anyone to look at her computer at the still photos and <br />video of today’s flooding and thanked the Fire Chief for being so responsive. <br />Mr. Price stated that Wilson is phase one and there are other phases that have to be <br />gone through. He stated the issue for him is how we can expedite the application <br />phase for Wilson. Mr. Price said he is thinking ahead and not coming to the <br />meetings with something negative. As he previously stated he has instructed the <br />City Manager to get our Federal and State officials involved as this is bigger than <br />just U.City. In the broader context of getting those people involved it also includes <br />those other affected flash points. He stated you have to very careful of people <br />coming up here and making statements that could be to your detriment. Secondly <br />he stated that he supports the sales tax. He says he represents the third Ward with <br />Mr. Sharpe, which has a higher propensity for calls for housing code violations and <br />calls for the police. People coming up to talk don’t live there and when they talk <br />about slashing, they talk about the people who support the ward he lives in. Mr. <br />Price said the sales tax is to maintain the quality of life for a lot of individuals in this <br />town. Mr. Price said that he and Mr. Sharpe will let the people know what is going <br />on with the sales tax. They can then make an intelligent decision as to what they <br />want to do. His commitment is to move due haste to fix the problem on Wilson and <br />move to the next until you can come to a conclusion. If the tax doesn’t pass, the city <br />will drastically deteriorate. Mr. Price stated he looked at where these people come <br /> <br />