Minutes - 1987 - City Council - 03/31/1987 - SpecialCITY COUNCIL ~,EETING
~arch 31,
~he CJty Council met in special session at the Eaole
IIills Elementary school, March 31, 19~7, at 7:30 p.m.
Those Councilmembers present were: ~UERBER, MATLOCR,
MINOW,ROGERS. Mayor HALEY presiding.
The special meetin~ was called ~or a oeneral City
Town Meeting askin~ ~or public input on the question,
"Should the City of Ea~le purch~se the Ea~le Ranch Water
Company"?
There was a questionaire passed out to the public
for their input. The ~inal count was 33 for the acquisition
and 30 a~ainst the city acquiring the Water Company. There
were those who abstained.
The issues in ~pposition were:
1. Well users concerned about paying for a water company
that they don't use, through property taxes.
A take over miqht require more financial burden in
that the c~ty must hire oersonne.1 and maintain costs
which wou~ reflect on the ~r~ rates.
3. Property tax raise?
4. Sewer take over?
5. Is city acGnirin~ a utilitv in order to seek expansien?
6. Alternatives? Not city owned or Eaqle Ranch Water Co.
7. A belief in the free enterorise system.
More wells-where?
Would promote growth not waDted.
The issues in support were:
PUC doesn't have reQulations over municipality owned
utilities.
2. Citv owned utilities are nonprofit and therefore mor~
benefit to users.
3. Bondin~ would enable city to brin~ up the standards
of the water company as far as maintenance and repair.
City Council
Town Meeting
March 31, 1987
page 2
4. City owned utilities protect users, private may not-
5. Better protection as city grows. Water protection
essential.
6. If privately owned and water is contaminated the well
users would increase to a dangerous level.
7. A municiDality would use assets for the community.
8. Municipalities are more often successful than private
9. Purchase now for less or purchase later for much more
and when it is manditory. Deference Ketchum
10. Municipalities ~ln do it cheaper.
11.
Banks won't get into the water business when capital
needed. C$.ties can qet fundin~ needed through bondin~
etc.
12.
If a private company cannot maintain, PUC will brin~
in an outside water company who can.
Councilmembers offered to the public the fiqure $117,000
turned down by Eaqle Ranch Water Co. Mr. DeShazo said the appraised
value is $720,000, or more. It was estimated that the number of
users is between 540 and 600 customers.
Public meetin~ adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
/ '~t~ul ~A~i t ~
~'a Montoo~?~-~
Approved: