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MR. LUNDY STATED THAT THE CIVIC LEAGUE IS REQUESTING THAT THE <br />BOARD FILE A REQUEST WITH FMHA TO REVIEW AND REVISE THE RATE STRUCTURE,, <br />AND THEY HAVE SOMETHING OVER 300 SIGNATURES ON A PETITION TO THIS <br />EFFECT. HE STATED THAT THE GIFFORD WATER CUSTOMERS WERE PAYING THE <br />HIGHEST WATER RATES OF ANY SECTION OF THE COUNTY PRIOR TO JUNE IST, <br />AND POINTED OUT THAT A PROMISE WAS MADE THAT THE GIFFORD WATER CUSTO- <br />MERS WOULD, IF FEASIBLE, RECEIVE A REDUCTION IN RATES PROVIDING THERE <br />WAS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN CUSTOMERS, THERE WERE 400 CUSTOMERS, <br />AND THERE ARE NOW ABOUT 700. <br />CHAIRMAN SIEBERT INFORMED MR. LUNDY THAT THE BOARD HAS JUST <br />GONE THROUGH ALL BUDGETS, AND THE GIFFORD WATER SYSTEM OPERATED AT A <br />LOSS. <br />MR. LUNDY STATED THAT NEW CUSTOMERS ARE BEING DISCOURAGED <br />BY THE HIGH RATES, AND SOME CUSTOMERS WITH SEWER AND WATER ARE FACED <br />WITH DOUBLE BILLS; HE FELT THE ONLY HOPE IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER <br />OF GALLONS ALLOWED AT THE SAME RATES. <br />CHAIRMAN SIEBERT POINTED OUT THAT THIS WOULD COMPOUND THE <br />PROBLEM BY DECREASING REVENUES, AND COMMISSIONER WODTKE COMMENTED <br />THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO PLAY WITH THE MINIMUM AMOUNT, BUT WE ARE <br />TAKING TREATED WATER FROM THE CITY OF VERO BEACH AND RUNNING IT <br />THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, AND WE HAVE TO PAY THE CITY FOR <br />THE WATER THAT COMES OUT OF THEIR METER. COMMISSIONER WODTKE CON- <br />TINUED THAT WE HAVE A 12% LOSS OF WATER THAT IS NOT BEING METERED, <br />AND THAT IS A HIGH LOSS. THERE HAS BEEN BREAKAGE IN THE LINES <br />BETWEEN THE METERS AND THE HOMES, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME VERY <br />HIGH WATER BILLS. HE STATED THAT WE CAN ASK FMHA TO COME IN AND <br />LOOK AT OUR BOOKS AND CHARGES AND SEE IF THEY CAN DETERMINE ANY WAY <br />WE CAN LOWER THE RATES, BUT POINTED OUT THAT THE RATES ARE SIMILAR <br />THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND, HOPEFULLY, WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, <br />WE WILL HAVE A NEW SYSTEM. <br />CHAIRMAN SIEBERT REALIZED THEY ARE ASKING THE BOARD TO <br />REDUCE THE RATES TO ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS AND THEREBY INCREASE THE <br />REVENUE, BUT HE DOUBTED THAT FMHA AND THE BOND COMPANY WILL ALLOW <br />US TO DO THAT. HE NOTED THAT ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVES PREVIOUSLY <br />DISCUSSED WAS MAKING HOOKUP MANDATORY. <br />45 800K 45 PAGE - 45 <br />OCT 2 2 1980 <br />