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recurring situation in the coming years. He also asked that the Council consider working with Zone 7 to identify strategies that would allow water deliveries to be restored to Sycamore Grove, at least to the minimum extent required to preserve the grove and surrounding wildlife. Mike Moran said he desperately wants to see the water crisis addressed in an effective way and shared Mr. Axner's concern that a 25% reduction would be insufficient. He acknowledged those who have already achieved significant conservation and said he felt staff was clear in its intent to take that into consideration. He suggested that the ordinance would be better if constructed to address users in a staged way, in order to target high level consumers, rather than a blanked conservation level. He requested clarification on what the basis for conservation is and, if based on some previous period, asked how new residents with no prior history would be managed. He agreed with Councilmember Narum that a specific target would be helpful but questioned what that number would be as he has heard things ranging from 195 to 400 gallons per person per day. He stressed that the public needs clear goals as well as clear direction on how to reach those goals. Councilmember Brown said that tiered billing rates, which increases the cost per unit based on the total volume used, serves as a disincentive to heavier users. Art Tenbrink said his family has been conscientious with its water use since the first drought they experienced here in the late 1970s. In response to the drought of 1991, they replaced their lawn with drought tolerant plans, and in response to the current situation they have drastically reduced their vegetable garden and already conserved more than the 20% voluntary reduction. He said that subject him and others like him, who have already demonstrated a real effort to conserve, to additional reduction mandates seems unfair and punitive. He asked that the ordinance, under Section 9.130.120 (c)(5), clearly stipulate that those who have demonstrated long-term below average or recent and significant voluntary water reductions in order to meet conservation targets be either exempted from or outright rewarded for their reductions. • Mayor Thome said Mr. Tenbrink's comments typify the kind of questions he's been getting from the public and asked staff to respond once again. Mr. Smith firstly thanked Mr. Tenbrink for early efforts to conserve, noting that if everyone had made a similar effort the situation would not be as dire. He clarified that users are not being asked for an additional 25% over the voluntary 20%; rather, the 20% voluntary is being increased to a 25% mandatory. In determining whether or not a user has complied with the mandatory reduction, their usage will be compared to the same period the prior year. He said it sounded highly unlikely that someone like Mr. Tenbrink would be penalized and even he were, the ability to appeal and ask that staff look back at a longer history of usage would be available to him. Mr. Tenbrink thanked him for the clarification but said he would still like the ordinance to speak to more than health and business as circumstances that might warrant an exemption. Mr. Smith assured him that is in the ordinance, specifically where it speaks to looking as historical consumption patterns. Mr. Tenbrink clarified that he would specifically like to see long term conservation as a possible cause for exemption. Mayor Thorne closed the public hearing. Councilmember Cook-Kallio asked staff to speak to Mr. Moran's concerns regarding target usage. Mr. Smith explained that when the city embarked on the state mandate to reduce 20% by 2020, per capita usage was 244 gallons per day. The goal under that scenario would be 195 gallons per day. City Council Minutes Page 10 of 20 May 6,2014