Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 03-11-1980 Regular — reading text

unanimously. REQUEST FOR CLAY TO Mayor presented a request from the Playground Area HELP WITH PAVING Square and Round Dance Association for the City to AND PARKING LOT AT supply clay to help with paving the parking lot at SQUARE DANCE BLDG. the Square Dance building and to stripe the parkinQ lot. Mr. Joseph Vaccari, representative of the Association, C~~ ound on the d ~ ai~~ ASSociationTh~ e~~~ r~~~~~~ Mr. Rigdon said, I think we should help them. property belongs to the City. I would like to see us ask the County to help. It is a very worthy cause. I would like to see us support this. I move that we work with the County and see if we can help them. Motion was seconded by Dr. Hough ton. Mr. Sundy asked what the cost is per yard for clay? City Manager replied, 89 per yard, plus transportation costs. Motion carried unanimously.  f~ I 3/ 11/ 80 & 3/ 18/ 80 J { ',,_' FERRY PARK LITTLE Mayor presented the following recommendation from LEAGUE AND CHESTER Recreation Director reference " Ferry Park Little PRUITT PARK LIGHT~ League and Chester prui tt Park Lighting Fixture Bid": ING FIXTURE BID. Recommend that Trio Electric of Pensacola be awarded the bid. Their bid was low at $ 14, 949. 50 and met all specifications. Other bid was from Seaco Electrical Supply @ $ 16, 489. 00. 1 RIDING TRAP RAKE Mr. Motion Bishop moved unanimously. was Mayor presented the seconded to approve by Dr. following the recommendation. Houghton and carried recommendation from BID Recreation Director reference " Riding Trap Rake Bid" : Recommend that bid be awarded to Tieco Gulf Coast of Pensacola with the low bid of $ 2, 984. 25. Next low bid was $ 3, 100 from Yieldings, Inc. of Birmingham, II Alabama. Dr. Houghton moved to approve the recommendation. Motion was seconded by Mr. Bishop and carried unanimously. DRAINAGE Mr. Grant asked if there had been any particular problems with drainage due to the heavy rainfall in the last 48 hours. Public Works Director replied that he had received no complaints. GAS DISTRICT Mr. Baughman said, I feel that this Council ought to SURPLUS MONEY go record as favoring the return of the Gas on District surplus money directly to the customer, and not corning back to the cities. I know that sounds funny corning from a City Councilman, but I havE' thought a lot about t. his and I am convienced that this money is money that was billed and taken from inch viduals for their fuel bills. I feel that if we take that money back into the City, what we are doing is converting it to taxes and basically what we told people was that we were going to reduce taxes. " just think we would be going against what I we have said we were going to do. Our budget is over $ 8, 000, 000 for this and I think it is 1 year adequate. We are talking about reducing millage again next year, which tells me that we don' t really need the money. To me the greatest thing would be to see a large group of people open up their mail and have a check. I would so move. Motion was seconded by Mr. Grant. Mr. Rigdon said, there are four ways the money can go back to the people. We can do as Mr. Baughman says. This would amount to $ 9-$ 12 per customer. One of the problems we are faced with is that we U74 have 35% turnover of customers. This money goes back to 1970. There are many Glls who have paid their money and we cannot find them. You would be taking his money and giving it to somebody else. This would be way of one doing it. You are only talking about $ 9-$ 12 per customer. The second thing we could do is give back to the cities who own the gas company. It is owned by four cities. The law says that all surplus money will be given back to the cities. This is a second way. The third way, and I think is the best way is--- we owe approximate1y $ 1, 500, 000. debt service within the District. Gas We are receiving about 14% on the money that has been given back to the cities. If we would take that $ 800, 000 plus interest and apply the $ 400, 000 that will be applied at the end of the year, that would be almost l~ million. Then at the end months we could pay the balance of 10- 12 of the indebtedness and reduce your gas bill 10%. In the long run the taxpayers would receive more money. Ifi t is returned to the citizens, they would get only $ 12. 00 one time. If we reduce the bills 10% for 12 then you would realize the months benefi ts. The fourth way is that you could take the money and use it to update the system. I feel that before the final decision is made, there is a court case and we will have to wait until that case is cleared up. If you would give us a chance, I hate for us togo on record saying what we are going to do until we see all avenues. I am in favor of reducing the rates so that the citizens will benefit. If you talking about giving are money back to the individuals it is going to be hard to find all these people who have been paying gas bills from 1970 when we have a 35% turnover. Dr. Houghton said, I feel that we are making motions and trying to do things in a field that we do not have expertise in. These people who are serving on the Gas Board, representing all the cities, are studying and trying to make recommendations. They have all the workings at their disposal to try to make this decision. I don' t see how we as Council- men can sit up here and without the study and the research, reach a decision that would benefit our