Minutes 04/24/1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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80: APril 24,-1990 The City will provide a gratuity supplement of $100 per month maximum (not to exceed 50% of the difference between the City's highest HMO prem~ium and.the~premium 0f~the nonugro~p plan selected by the retiree) ~ ~ Ail curr~n~'and future retirees will be' eligible t~7~i~ receive this gratuity supplement from the date of participation in a non-group plan until the retiree becomes eligible for Medicare A and'~B benefits. To be eligible; a retiree must~hav6 retired with at least twenty years of actual service.~k~-~~ gratuity supplement is based on the total premium paid by the retiree, excluding any employer contributions. The Ci~ii~c~' pay the gratuity supplement to the retiree on a quart~rty~basi~ provided verification is received docume~ihg t~at ~he~p~emi~um' has been paid by the retiree in a non-group-plan for the preceding quarter. The budget recommends this program and includes $18,000 for 1990-91. This proposal favorably addresses th~situation~of those retirees-~ho are in the W~rst-case ~ircum~tances.~:'~<~i?' State and!F6deral regulations a~d mandates are rapidly escalating the costs for solid waste management, which includes product generation, collection, dispoSal, processing and recycling of refuse, while these mandates are desirable from an environmental~standpoint, they often, result in higher~coS£s, Which nearly alWays become the responsibility of local government. This~is a. problem which?affects no~ onty' . ~ '~ Portsmouth, but every other city and county in the nation. The budget proposes that the refuse, collection fee be increased from $7 to $8 per month for each household. This increase is~'~g~F~!~??~eet ~ghg~O~?~gS~'potably an anticipated increase in the Southeastern Public Service Authority's tipping fee from the presenti$26,50 per ton. It is important~tO note that~ while the ~tefuse ¢ollection~feelhas been raised se~eraI times in recent years; theiproposed fee does not cover the'expehse'of refuse collect~on~and disposal~ The~true cost is more than $I0 per houSehold per month. Furthermore,"the Department 6f~'General Services has already taken an aggreSSive role~ in developing new methods for the collection~oflhousehold waste from more than 33,000 residenceS~in, our~Cityl The ultimate goal is to upgrade the present collection sYstem to a new, innovative automated and semi-automated refuse collection system in phases over the next several yea~.~'~'i~ ~!_ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~... ~_~_ ~ BOAT TAX In 1986, the City Council reduced the boat taX rate from $4.35 to $0,50 per $100 of valuation; This was done to encourage boat owners to register their vessels in Portsmouth, thereby increasing the contribution that boat owners and marine related industry make to the local economy. In fact, there has been an increase in the number of boats registered in .the City, from 2,142~in 1985,~the year before the tax reduction was ~ : adopted, tO approximately 3,100 in 1989. HOwever, the registra.tion of vessels alse inCreased~i~n other Hampton Roads: communities% partly because most of them lowered their tax rate in response to' Portsmouth's action. Perhaps a more important factOr contributing to the increase of boat registrati, ons was - the existence of a strong regional and~ na{~ional economy during-~ the late 1980's;' Combined with abuhdant availability and relatively lOW price of fUel. ~ ~ The City Council has shown its commitment to the boating community in other ways, most recently by moving forward the Scotts Creek dredging project in the current CIP. Planned development of this waterfront area will help make Portsmouth a major boating center and tourist attraction.