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Council Approves Budget, Water Rates and Cable FranchiseBy Amber Lester Kennedy Friday, May 13, 2011 City Council approved its 2012 budget, new water tax rates and a cable franchise agreement in a busy meeting Thursday. Council passed the $45.9 million budget (available for download here) with 4-1 votes. Councilman Doug Pons objected to the way money is allocated to promote tourism. “When we make investments, we need to do so with an open mind because to do so the same way every year is not going to move us forward,” he said. He said that until recently, the city didn’t invest in tourism as part of economic development. Vice Mayor Paul Freiling both agreed and disagreed. He said Pons was asking reasonable questions that council should discuss, but said it’s fair to say the city has viewed tourism as a heavy component of its revenue stream. Pons, an owner of the Knights Inn (formerly Quarterpath Inn), has pushed council in the past to reduce its contributions to the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance. The approved budget does reduce its contribution to the Alliance by 3.99 percent to $650,000. It also includes $1.5 million for the Williamsburg Area Destination Marketing Committee. The city denied the Williamsburg Hotel and Motel Association’s request for $350,000, and did not allocate any money toward that organization. Pons was once president of the WHMA and previously served as their representative on WADMC. Council also approved two measures that will result in increased costs for residents. The water rates for residents inside the city will rise to $4.30 per 1,000 gallons and for users outside the city, $5.15 per 1,000 gallons. City Manager Jack Tuttle said the city still has the lowest rates on the Peninsula; James City County’s water rate is $.5.65 per house per 1,000 gallons and Newport News is $6.67 per house per 1,000 gallons. City residents who are Cox Communications customers will also see subscriber fees added to their bills to pay for the costs associated with broadcasting three public, educational and governmental channels. The “PEG” fees are part of the new franchise agreement with Cox, which goes for a 10-year period, with one extension of five years. The PEG fee will be $0.50 per subscriber per month for the first year of the franchise, increasing incrementally in subsequent years at the discretion of City Council at a rate of no more than $0.10 per year up to $0.80 per subscriber per month. The franchise agreement also stipulates that Cox will provide cable service to all municipal buildings and schools, and must install all new or replacement equipment underground in the Historic Area. Equipment added to new areas of service must also be placed underground.
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Comments
That's not what free enterprise is about, and not something in which I choose to participate. Now residents will pay not only for the roads used by tourists, the much increased trash removal costs, and suffer crowded traffic and housing situations and higher crime rates as a result of transient visitors and employees coming here.
Let the hotels and motels pay extra cable costs rather than "personal property tax" payers. As residents here bear the brunt of increased cable costs soundlessly, they will continue to be expected to pay whatever their leaders think the "traffic will bear".
I use an inside antennae now that I'm back (cost $90). Fewer stations are available with that, and that's fine with me, since the pleasure of having substantially lowered my utility bills is greater. I have no telephone land line, and use my cellphone (from another company) at home, go on the web at public places, and now since I'm not Cox's customer, I won't pay the extra amount the city deemed residents could bear. That wasn't their decision to make for others.
I've also found out that water costs are billed at a minimum rate here, which is much higher than it should be according to the amount of water I use. That rankles.
Where I live for part of each year, I have all those services from a cable company and water company, at half the price Cox charges here. Water is billed according to the actual use of it, and electricity charges are 1/4 those here.
I resent the fact that the builder of the community in which my condominium is, was allowed to have the electrical wiring placed by Cox at no expense to him, and no outside apparatus is allowed by the CC&Rs he set up, as they would need to be put up with nails/screws that "penetrate the envelope" of the building. No other company has the ability to utilize the connection setup for the same services.
There are anti-monopoly laws enacted to prevent all of the above travesties.
For heaven's sake, neighbors, stand up for yourselves and be heard and legally represented! Don't shuffle your feet and let big business ride roughshod over you!!! Since Homeowner Associations don't/won't speak up for you, maybe we need to have a Homeowner/Resid ents Union..... to deal with those who take advantage of us.
PLEAXSE LETS TAKE THE CITY OF WILLIAMSBGURG OF THE BACKYEARD AND FORWARD TO THE REAL TIMES...THE 21TH CENTURY....JTHA T MEANS PROGRESS.