The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 18

Electrical Union Turned Down As Agents C-7 SECTION By SAM EASTERBROOK Sentinel Star Stall NEW SMYRNA BEACH City utilities' commissioners formally denied the request of the Intern ational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to represent utilities employes' as their agents in future wage and salary contract negotiations. The unanimous action was in accord with the recommendation of Dick Canfield, utilities finance director, who had been tasked by commissioners to study the CANFIELD CALLED the action the most advantageous course of action open to commissioners with respect to their protecting employe rights. The next step with regard to the union request, said Canfield, will probably be negotiations between IBEW officials and utilities management, overseen and regulated by state Public "Employe Relations Committee officials. During those talks, the IBEW will be given a chance to state why it can best represent utility employes, and exactly which employes it feels it can represent electric, water and or sewer. Also, noted Canfield, utilities officials can give their input to the same subjects.

CANFIELD also said If other unions want to bid for the utilities employe agent position, they can come forward during negotiations. The step following negotiations, said Canfield, will be an election among employes in which they can choose between unions, or choose not to be represented by unions at all, if that is their desire. In a somewhat related matter, Canfield told commissioners he has arranged for a free seminar" to be given here by Florida Department of Community Affairs officials. IN ADDITION to utilities management officials, New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater city officials have been invited to attend the seminar designed to inform management personnel on state laws and policies relating to municipal employe-union relations and policies. In other action, commission: Authorized payment to the Florida Municipal Utilities Association of $3,120 for their part in the city securing a 3.9 megawatt participation share of Florida Power Crystal River nuclear generating plant; Approved by a 3-1 vote a purchasing policy change that permits purchases of services and equipment of up to $2,500 by the administrative staff without prior ission authorization.

The previous ceiling of $1,000 was raised due to inflation. Under the new policy, purchases under the $2,500 level are permitted as long as they comply with the annual budget and have the administrative approval; Approved purchase of a new computer system for the billing' and finance departments. The new machines are completely compatible with current ones, according to Canfield, and will not Volusia 1LU May 29, 1975 require lost time for reprogram-ming or retraining personnel. They are also expected to be large enough to meet city needs indefinitely. They will cost the city approximately $3,000 per month for 14 months.

Airport Development Plan Includes Radical Changes committees said, "We believe the consultants erred in their recommendations establishing airport requirements and terminal location and concept." The committees then recommended: The relocation of the new terminal building south of the airport's main runway rather than in the area of the present terminal as recommended by the The construction of a 6,000 foot parallel east-west runway, 4,300 feet south of the existing airline runway. The consultants stated that another airline runway was not needed but that a smaller general aviation runway should be built. The development of a terminal access road intersecting Thames Road and the improvement of Thames Road which would create an entirely new entrance to the airport rather than having entrance and egress along Volusia Avenue. Interim improvements be minimal and designated for removal at the time new facilities are available. The board will submit the new and perhaps controversial report to the county council Tuesday afternoon in a workshop session in DeLand.

jf 1 i x-- i-; j' i id 1 fJr pff 11 il Abies' Trial June 2 fit DJ's Murder Change Of Venue Plea Withdrawn he had been scheduled to go to trial March 3. APPROXIMATELY" 60 witnesses have been subpoenaed for the trial next week, according to court records. Abies is one of two men charged in West's death. West was program manager of DeLand Radio Station WKKX. However, the first degree murder charge against Willie James Gillyard was dropped by the state attorney in return for Gillyard's no contest pleas to two lesser charges.

Gillyard pleaded no contest to charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and extortion during a hearing May 14. He is in Volusia County Jail awaiting By TOM O'HARA Sentinel Star Stall DAYTON A BEACH Following a year of investigation and review of the Daytona Beach Regional Airport and the airport master plan submitted to the county by a San Francisco consulting firm, the airport advisory board is ready to submit its own plan for airport development to the county council. At, a meeting of the board uesday night, three of the board's standing committees, the interim' improvements committee, the master plan terminal i vements committee and master plan landing area committee, submitted a joint report to the board. Their recommendations are, in many cases, radically different from those forwarded by the consultants, Peat, Mar-wick and Mitchell. IN APRIL, the board's finance committee also submitted its report concerning the financing of future airport improvements, and it, too, contrasted with the recommendations of the consultants.

While Peat, Marwick and Mitchell suggested that improve-' ments be funded through general obligation bonds, which would translate into some sort of higher taxes within the county, the advisory board committee recommended that improvements be financed through revenue bonds which would be based on the profits of the airport and would not require new taxes "I believe airports should be self supporting operations," said Doug Wolfe airport manager who worked with the board during its first year of service. "I approve the recommendations of the board completely." IN ADDITION to the differences in funding arrangements suggested by the consultants and the board, the two groups differed on other significant issues. In their report to the board, the the city funding the chamber with tax dollars. Chamber officials made the request foran additional $5,000 several weeks ago, when it was estimated funds on hand would not be sufficient to, see the chamber through the The city has already given the chamber $14,000 for the year, ON THE REFERENDUM issue, Musson said he thought the commission was wrong to call for the referendum, especially when city residents have voted twice in the past to keep the utilities commission. Musson suggested the referendum only be held if a citizen petition requesting it is presented to commissioners.

"The reason I bring these two items together," said Musson, "is that both could be related. It is said around some parts of town that the city commission, by these two actions, is trying to gather fry Tax Roll Investigation Results Due On Friday (Sentinel Star Photo) Gull Fascination Young visitor to Daytona Beach feeds stale bread and other goodies to seagulls on a clear sunny morning. Youngster didn't know how many friends he had until he started his one-boy aid program to feathered friends. Smyrna Bans Booze At Youth Events By BRUCE J. KUEHN Sentinel Star Staff DELAND James Perry Abies, charged with the kidnaping murder of DeLand radio announcer Fred West last October, has withdrawn a previous motion to move his trial to another county on grounds of pretrial publicity.

Abies is scheduled to go to trial for first degree murder June 2 before circuit Judge Uriel Blount Jr. BURKE CHESTER, attorney for Abies, withdrew a previous motion last week which had asked the trial be moved to another locale because widespread publi- jty 0f West's kidnap and murder would make it impossible to find an impartial jury. Chester could not be contacted for comment Wednesday. The motion had been filed by Abies' previous attorney, Alan Dickey earlier this year. In a hearing last February Abies abruptly fired Dickey charging he was biased and did not believe in Abies' innocence.

Abies later hired Chester, but the maneuver by Abies delayed his trial until June 2. Originally under its wing most of the functions of the city so they will have a direct control over it. "Of course," he added, "I am sure that is not your intention, but this might be assumed by some people." IN OTHER ACTION, commissioners: Established the position of deputy chief of police to serve in times w)ien the -chief of police is on vacation or disabled; Amended the city cultural committees' by-laws to include a 1 1 a nee requirements. As amended, if a member misses three consecutive meetings or a total of four per calendar year, he forfeits membership on the committee. An additional request to increase committee membership from 15 to 20, made by Commissioner Vic McDonald, was defeated.

recent eeting with field representatives of the state's environmental agencies in Orlando. "The area around the power plant is already a distressed said port authority administrator Robert explaining the reasoning of state agencies. "The nearer to. the power station the better they like Horowski said the agencies requested preliminary site plans. He said the county office is in the process of drawing up these plans.

HOROWSKI ALSO suggested to the authority that "we should do a total site plan" for the two rec areas on either side of the inlet mouth. He said an analysis of the north site had been completed and a sentence on the two charges plus another unrelated charge of buying and receiving stolen property. ASST. STATE Atty. Charles Tindell said at that hearing that Gillyard's part in the kidnaping was in obtaining the weapon used in West's slaying and giving it to Abies.

West was kidnapped from his DeLand apartment Oct. 24 and the next morning, employes at WKKX received ransom calls demanding $10,000 for West's safe return. West was found shot to death a day later after the ransom had been delivered. Abies was arrested in downtown DeLand the same day West's body was found following a massive manhunt. a anted across-the-board reductions in 1975 assessments will probably remain unanswered for a while.

Cave explained, "We really haven't gotten the '75 roll yet. Bailey hasn't given us any indica tion other than that it is completed." "We would have to wait until he officially prepares and publishes the roll and then study it. At that point in time, then we would know what is happening with the '75 roll," he said. CAVE SAID he plans to conduct a similar sale price-assessment study of the roll as soon as it is available. Bailey said Wednesday he would be available at the meeting Friday to answer questions.

He said he hoped to know by Friday when the 1975 tax roll would be finished. THE STATE revenue department investigation was launched in February after county officials and State Rep. William R. Con-, way of Ormond Beach told revenue department officials they suspected Bailey was making unwarranted reductions in assessed valuations. State law requires all property be assessed at full market value.

Last year's tax roll was pegged at 77 per cent of market value by the state department of revenue, but was deemed acceptable. If the 1975 tax roll is found to below state standards, the revenue department could reject lt IN THAT case, no taxing agency in the county, would be able to levy taxes until the roll was brought up to standard. Employes in the tax assessor's office estimate it would take from four to six months to revalue all the property in the county should the state reject the 1975 tax roll. During that time, governmental agencies would have to borrow money at interest to continue to provide service. In addition, they would lose interest income normally gained from investing tax revenue not immediately needed.

SCHOOL SUPT. Donald Gill Tuesday night said the jobs of more than 200 first year teachers rest on the outcome of the dispute. ByEDJOELLA Sentinel Star Staff DELAND Volusia County taxpayers as well as representatives of the county's taxing agencies will get a look Friday at the results of a two-and-a-half month long state department of revenue investigation into the validity of the county's tax roll. But they are likely to still be somewhat in the dark on whether the state will accept the 1975 tax roll county tax assessor Jim Bailey is now preparing. BILL CAVE, the director of the revenue department's division of ad valorem taxation, is scheduled to make public the results of his study of the tax roll at 10 a.m.

Friday in the courthouse annex in Daytona Beach. But Cave explained Wednesday the revenue department's i st igation dealt only with comparison of prices of property sold with 1974 assessments. Cave said the results of the study of 1974 sales and assessments will give an indication of what you should be doing in 1975. HOWEVER, the expressed purpose of the investigation to check reports Bailey was making south site analysis would be complete soon. Horowski recommended tht a natural area be preserved on the north site.

"This is the one area along the whole strip where you can see the basic dune structure. It is one of the few areas which hasn't been cut up too badly." He said the natural area, which sets back from the beach and the inlet mouth, would make a good nature study area with the possibility of guided tours. New Smyrna Beach city manager Robertson Buck told the authority there would be a considerable amount of community resistance once the authority began to build on the southern location. He said the city will support the authority's recreational project on that site. fCJllyZ "11 m's Income Rises Sentinel Star Bureau NEW SMYRNA BEACH City electric utility net operating income; for the first half of fiscal year 1974-75 is up approximately 37 per cent over last year's budget estimates, according to official utility financial statements.

However, the figures released at the utility commission's regular meeting here Wednesday, revenues for the water utility, for the same period are dowri approximately 22 per cent and sewer utility net -revenues down approximately 15 per cent from those predicted late last year. THE UTILITIES six per cent payments on sales to the city government are up $13,100, $1,550 and $915 respectively for the electric, water and sewer utilities for the six month period. According to utility officials, the city payments have increased in spite of the drop in net revenues because actual service-sales revenues have increased for all utilities. The net loss was due to the lack of construction and new system hook-ups for the water and sewer" utilities estimated by utilities last year. Several expense accounts showed major differences with initial budget estimates.

These included the electric utilities consultant services employed," which was approximately 180 per cent over estimates, and the same utilities "station equipment, poles, towers, fixtures, overhead and underground conductors and line transformers" improvements and replacements, was approximately 69 per cent over estimates. Sentinel Star Bureau NEW SMYRNA BEACH City commissi oners unanimously passed on first reading an ordinance banning the. display and consumption of alcoholic or intoxicating beverages at youth-oriented events in the city. The ordinance," adopted by com-. missioners at their regular meeting here Tuesday, bans the beverages "for two hours prior to, during and two hours following any recreation, school or related practice, special or regular event sponsored by the city or by the Volusia County School Board." THE ORDINANCE pertains to city parks, playgrounds and other areas owned or leased by the city.

However, a special provision states the "prohibition shall not apply to activities, either public or private, for which prior approval of the director of the parks" and recreation department has been obtained." Second and final reading of the ordinance will be held during the commission's regular June 24 meeting. In other action, commissioners heard from local resident George Musson who "questioned" their recent actions dealing with the possible supplemental funding of the chamber of commerce and their intent to hold a November referendum to determine the future of the city utilities commission. MUSSON SAID HE thought the commission "could convey to the chamber whether it would honor the request (for additional funds) when the attorney general's opinion is received." Commissioners have delayed their decision on the chamber request on the advice of City Attorney Charles Hall, who said he was awaiting a written opinion from state Attorney General Robert Shevin on the legality of New Inlet Marina Site Considered Sentinel Star Bureau DAYTONA BEACH The Ponce De Leon Port Authority Wednesday zeroed in on a 30-40 acre area at the New Smyrna Beach Power plant along Red-land Canal for possible construction of its marina project. The authority's board of com-mission ers, also considering building recreational facilities in the Ponce Inlet area heard county planner Tom Horowski present preliminary plans for two rec sites, on either side of the inlet mouth. THE BOARD had originally considered two separate marina sites near the power plant, one north and one south, but consolidated the two after a.