The surrogate
It begins with a woman who yearns for a baby and another who is willing and able to give her one. You can imagine the motives of the prospective parents. But what about the woman willing to carry a baby, give birth and then walk away?
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
ST. PETERSBURG — The city staff wants to make it easier for the City Council to lower stormwater utility rates, but the proposed process would limit the public's opportunity to comment on the changes.
The proposal already has been criticized as a blow to open government. The City Council will discuss whether to change the rate process Thursday.
"With the skepticism of government at all levels in general these days, to create a process that removes the public … I don't think that is wise," council member Herb Polson said.
Currently, the city automatically increases stormwater utility rates every year based on the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index for the preceding year. In other words, the city is supposed to increase utility rates in 2009 by the 2008 CPI.
Deputy Mayor Tish Elston said the staff determined that high of an increase was not necessary this year.
But under the city code, the council must pass an ordinance to approve the lower rate. The council has to hold a public hearing and approve the rate change twice for it to pass.
Staff members are proposing the council make it easier on themselves. They suggest the council amend the city code to allow the council to approve the rate changes by a super majority vote and without a public hearing.
"No one is going to come to a public hearing to complain about lower rates," City Attorney John Wolfe said.
If the council wants to pass a rate higher than the CPI, they would still have to hold a public hearing.
The new ordinance "would always be to the benefit of the citizens because it would only be when a less-than-CPI increase is needed," Elston said.
But that's not a good enough reason to cut the public out, Polson said. "I don't understand why they want this. Are they fixing something that's not broken?"
In response to Polson's concerns, the city staff will also present the council with an alternative proposal Thursday at the other end of the spectrum that would make it more difficult for the council to pass a utility rate lower than the CPI.
The second proposal would require a public hearing and the approval of at least five council members.
Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.
[Last modified: Aug 06, 2008 04:36 PM]
Comments on this article
by nan
Aug 6, 2008 4:36 PM
consumer cost based on US consumer price index. why not on the number of rabbits killed crossing I-75. that makes as much sense. Surely someone
can arrive at a better basis. number
of inches of rain, averaged out over the city or is that too easy
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