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City Manager Malone called for consideration of and action on a <br />proposal to add dental coverage to the City of Paris Health Insurance <br />Plan, and stated that a number of Councilmembers had expressed interest <br />in providing dental coverage for the employees and there families. <br />W. E. Anderson, Director of Finance, was present telling the Council <br />the cost would be approximately $27,000.00 toward the employees benefit <br />fund which goes toward paying claims. The only other expense would be <br />one dollar add -in fee per month per employee. Mr. Anderson said the <br />employee would also be contributing maximum of $48,600.00 toward the <br />same benefit plan and any claims in excess would be pick up by that <br />fund. <br />After discussion, a motion was made by Councilman Shelton, seconded by <br />Councilman Burnett to authorize providing dental insurance coverage for <br />employees and their families. The motion carried 5 ayes, 1 nay, <br />Councilman Bell voting nay. <br />City Manager Malone announced the next item on the agenda was <br />discussion of an amendment to the current gas utility franchise <br />ordinance, and advised that several years ago the City discovered that <br />the Lone Star Gas Company Franchise Fee had decreased, a previous <br />Council had directed the City to try and solve the problem. At that <br />time it was found that the Company had made through wholly -owned <br />affiliated company gas sales to large industrial customers that had <br />been and continued to be Lone Star Gas Customers, and in so doing <br />avoided the City of Paris franchise fee. City Manager Malone said this <br />has continued up to this point, there has been several meetings with <br />the Company seeking changes in the franchise ordinance that would <br />require an amendment to the ordinance, City Manager Malone said there <br />has been discussion in the last few months with Lone Star Gas, and <br />thinks the position of the City is the Lone Star Gas's franchise <br />currently in use in some other areas are coming closer together. <br />Copies of the current franchise and a copy of the most recent Lone Star <br />offer of amendment has been furnished the Council for information. <br />City Manager Malone told the Council that the current franchise Fee for <br />Lone Star Gas is 3 percent, but some cities receive 4 percent. <br />Roy Sparks, Manager for Lone <br />that this has been a ongoini <br />resolve it for a year. Mr. <br />style of doing business, th <br />competitive nature which has <br />the transportation business, <br />market availability of gas. <br />operation is not addressed in <br />it with the City of Paris <br />personality problem, and at <br />most of the questions that <br />recognize the value of gas th <br />the transportation fees. <br />addressed in an amendment <br />transporting third party gas, <br />Star Gas Company, came forward stating <br />3 concern, and they have been trying to <br />Sparks said they have not changed their <br />e natural gas business has gone into a <br />required Lone Star Gas Company to go into <br />they have become open excess due to spot <br />Mr. Sparks told the Council this type of <br />the franchise, they had tried to resolve <br />once before, and ran into conflicts, <br />this time we have addressed and answered <br />he city staff asked, they wanted us to <br />at is being transported to customers, and <br />Mr. Sparks said that those have been <br />that would pay the City the cost of <br />also we have address the value of the gas <br />