Laserfiche WebLink
272 <br /> <br />he recommended that a working group be convened to discuss options and make a <br />recommendation back to the School Board and Council. Mr. Toscano recommended that <br />the working group be composed ora School Board and Council representative, staff, and <br />members of the arts community. <br /> <br /> Rev. Edwards and Mary-Susan Payne indicated interest in serving on the working <br />group for the Performing Arts Center. <br /> <br /> Ms. Seaman announced that this wotfld be Dr. McGeehan's last Council/School <br />Board lunch meeting. <br /> <br /> ourned <br /> <br />~?resl~dent <br /> <br /> COUNCIL CHAMBER - May 16, 1994 <br /> <br /> Council met in regular session on this date with the following members present: <br />Ms. Daugherty, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Toscano, Mr. Vandever. Absent: Rev. Edwards. <br /> <br /> Mr. Vandever announced that the appropriation of gas surplus funds would be <br />deferred until after the work session on utility rates. <br /> <br />PUBLIC <br /> <br /> Mr. Tom Hill, 1204 Rugby Road, protested Council taking money from the gas <br />fund for other purposes as he felt it was anti-consumer and anti-elderly, l~fi-. Hill stated <br />that he has written the Attorney General asking that the matter be investigated and if that <br />fails, he will pursue legal means to have the gas funds returned to gas users. <br /> <br /> Mr. Joe Bishop, 315 15th St., N~W., stated that he does not use gas at his home, <br />but feels that using gas funds for other purposes was irresponsible and unfair to all <br />citizens. <br /> <br /> A resident of 1010 St. Clair Avenue expressed his support of Mr. Hill's comments <br />and added that while he thought some of the projects proposed to be funded with the <br />surplus gas funds are beneficial he felt it is an unfair and irresponsible use of the money. <br /> <br /> Mr. Wade Tremblay, a property manager in the City, stated his business uses a lot <br />of gas and felt that using surplus gas funds for other purposes represented a major <br />philosophical shift for Council. Mr. Tremblay stated that he felt using the gas funds as <br />proposed meant that only some of the citizens are being asked to pay to benefit alt and he <br />asked Council to reconsider using the gas funds. <br /> <br /> Ms. Daugherty explained that Council's goal regarding gas rates is to hold them <br />steady at reasonable rates, noting that the rates charged in Charlottesville are slightly <br />below average. Ms. Daugherty noted that Charlottesville, as well as other cities, have <br />used gas funds for other purposes in the past for projects involving the library, jail and city <br />pools. Ms. Daugherty stated that Council has occasionally used gas funds to write down <br />the utility rates, but doing so creates a larger increase the following year. Ms. Daugherty <br />stated that one alternative would be to give rebates, but pointed out that doing so would <br />mean very small amounts returned to small consumers and larger amounts returned to <br />large users and Council felt it was better to use the surplus for much needed infrastructure <br />repairs. Ms. Daugherty added that Council would like to expand the City's Gas Assistance <br />Program to benefit more low income and elderly residents. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano stated that the issue was whether Council changes its philosophy <br />regarding use of gas funds and listed the following assumptions: 1)The system is a public <br /> <br /> <br />