MAHARISHI VEDIC CITY
CITY COUNCIL

Resolution No. 17

To Establish Municipal Utilities

August 16, 2002

Whereas, Maharishi Vedic City does not have any municipal utilities to provide high quality and low cost services to residents;

Whereas, the City desires to use renewable and sustainable utilities within the City;

Whereas, there is no natural gas service within the City;

Whereas, the current sewer system is privately owned and more capacity will be needed for City expansion;

Whereas, there is currently no cable television access to residents of the City;

Whereas, there is currently limited high-speed Internet access within the City;

Whereas, options may exist to provide lower cost telephone service to residents of the City;

Whereas, Iowa municipalities with municipal utilities generally provide those services for less cost than municipalities that franchise those services to for-profit utilities or non-profits co-ops;

Whereas, the above mentioned utilities are an integral part of the master plan for the City and the stated expansion goal of the City to 8,000 residents as soon as possible;

Whereas, municipal revenue bonds and grants are a common method of funding municipal utilities that do not use levies against the property tax base of the City;

Whereas, municipal utilities in Iowa can not only offer lower rates to residents but also earn surplus revenue which can be used by municipalities to provide even more services without raising property taxes;

Whereas, Iowa statute provides for municipalities to have municipal utilities to provide service to their residents;

Whereas, it is expected in Iowa statute that municipalities provide a higher level of service than found in unincorporated areas; and

Whereas, the authority to establish a municipal utility or municipal utilities resides with the City Council if approved at an election by a majority of the voters voting on the issue.

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the questions of establishing municipal utilities within Maharishi Vedic City be put to an election of the voters at the earliest possible time to decide on the following:

Shall the City of Vedic City establish a municipal electric utility?
Shall the City of Vedic City establish a municipal gas utility?
Shall the City of Vedic City establish a municipal water utility?
Shall the City of Vedic City establish a municipal sewer utility?
Shall the City of Vedic City establish a municipal cable utility?
Shall the City of Vedic City establish a municipal Internet utility?
Shall the City of Vedic City establish a municipal telephone utility?

PASSED AND APPROVED:

Date: August 16, 2002
		Bob Wynne, Mayor
Attest:
Fran Clark City Clerk