05081972 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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regular meeting, may 8, 1972 page five The Mayor introduced the next order of business which was to consider the awarding of the contract to the lowest &idder for the group hospitalization and life insurance program. Mr. Yarbrough moved that the matter be tabled unti I the next meeting, Dr. Tauch seconded the motion which passed unanimously. the Mayor requested the Council next consider the appointment of the Board of Equalization. Mr. King submitted the name o~ David Dai ley; Mr. Etheredge, James Hearn; and Mr. Yarbrough, Mr. W;D. Owen for consideration. It was agreed by common consent to consider these names at the next meeting. I The meeting was recessed at 9:00 p.m. to re-convene at the First Presbyterian Church at 9:30 to hear citizen complaints on the increased water and sewer rates. The City Attorney had ruled that the Council could legally move the meeting after al I regular business was cleared from the Agenda. The Counci I reconvened at First Presbyterian Church, with a reported 800 people present. The Mayor called on Mr. Ramiro Lugo, who presented a petition signed by fifty-two residents. They requested that the Counci I reconsider the rate of increase in the new water and sewer ordinance. The petition also asked that an additional meter- reader be employed. The City Manager presented a series of charts to show how increased costs of operating the water and sewer department had necessitated new rates. I Mr. Henry Kyle, spokesman for a large delegation, presented research he had done on income and cost of operati~n of the Water and Sewer Department, to substantiate his claim that the increase in rates was unreasonable. Mr. Kenneth Finch, of Ernst and Ernst, explained the difference between the method of an engineer and an auditor, in computing income and cost of operation of a uti lity department. Numerous citizens spoke in protest of the new rates. attempted to explain the need for the increase, after twenty years, but the clamour of angry voices made it to be heard. Counc i I men a lapse of impossible Counci Iman Etheredge stated it was apparent the crowd did not want to hear what the Counci I had to say. He added: "As of now, you have one vacancy on the Council", and left the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 11:30 p.m. I ~~/~~~; L. C""";"~h.. -ftiiY7:lIhw~ ~~ ~. DeLa Rosa ~/~_Kin;/ ~ /' ATTEST: ?C'~o( t{ c=J~ ~ I' David R. Tauch Docot~~,q~ . y.UJlShfl~(V L City s~JJ~~;c." (I .. ,