Annual appeal assists gay and lesb ian students

T h e S o u th B e n d City Council r e c e n t ly p a s se d an 80 pe rcen t price ra ise in the cost of s e w e r utility, a cost t h a t d i r e c t l y a f f e c t s t h e Notre Dame community. “An i n c r e a s e in r a t e s is n e c e s s a r y fo r t h e W astew ater Utility to con tin ­ ue to se rve as a com m unity a s s e t f o r e n v i r o n m e n t a l s t e w a r d s h ip a n d e c o n o m ic d e v e lo p m e n t ,” w ro te Mayor S te p h e n Luecke in a s t a t e ­ m ent to the community. The p ro p o sa l a ffec ted the policy for d e te rm in in g c u s ­ tom er ra tes . Instead of being c h a rg e d on a fla t r a t e s y s ­ tem, custom ers pay for w ha t they use. “T h is s y s te m is f a i r e r to ou r r e s id e n t s , ” S ou th Bend City C ouncil m e m b e r J o h n A ra n o w sk i sa id . “R es id en ts who use less will pay le ss .” N o t r e D a m e , t h e l a r g e s t u se r of the city’s sew er s e r ­ vice, and o th e r m ajor in d u s ­ t r i a l u s e r s w il l s h o u l d e r m o s t o f th e e c o n o m ic b u r ­ den. University a d m in is t r a ­ to r s h ave a l im ited n u m b e r o f c h o ic e s as to w h e r e th e m o n e y w ill co m e f rom b u t have as of yet to form ulate a p lan, said M atthew Cullinan, e x e c u t i v e a s s i s t a n t to th e p resident. However, Cullinan is confi­ den t th a t the added expense will n o t s ig n if ic a n t ly a ffec t s tuden ts . “ I t ’s n o t l ik e w e h a v e m o n e y ly in g a r o u n d , b u t s p re a d in g the costs over all s tu d en ts does not w a r r a n t a h u g e i n c r e a s e , ” C u l l i n a n said . Notre Dame ad m in is tra to rs h a v e b e e n w o r k i n g h a r d with the city to m o d era te the in c rease . A s u rc h a rg e of 50 p e r c e n t w a s o r i g i n a l l y p l a c e d on o u t s i d e u s e r s , which Notre Dame is consid­ ered, but the added expense w a s d r o p p e d in t h e f i n a l d r a f t o f t h e b i l l . C o u n c i l m e m b e rs felt the s u rc h a rg e w a s a s t r o n o m i c a l a n d unfair , Aranowski said. “At f irs t the in c re a se was going to be tr ip led ,” Cullinan s a id . “E ig h ty p e r c e n t is a ton, but i t ’s not t r ip led .” W h i le N o t r e D a m e h a s been coopera ting with coun­ cil m e m b e r s , s e v e r a l l a rg e users filed a lawsuit against th e c i ty . A c c o r d in g to th e o r d i n a n c e s u b m i t t e d “ th e new r a t e s c h e m e is f u n d a ­ m enta l ly flawed and re su l ts in unjust, u n reaso n ab le , and d i s c r i m i n a t o r y r a t e s fo r users of the city’s municipal sew age w orks .” H oly C ro s s A s s o c i a t e s , p r o v i d e r o f S a i n t M a r y ’s sew er utility, is am ong those filing the lawsuit. According to the o rd in a n c e s u b m i t te d th e p r o s e c u t in g c o m p a n ie s feel they should be given d is­ c o u n ts fo r vo lu m e b e c a u s e a s l a r g e u s e r s th e y do no t impose as m uch of a cost as they a re allo tted in the new system. T h e c i ty s t r o n g l y d i s ­ agrees , and is confident th a t the new sew er ra te s a re fair, e s p e c i a l l y fo r l o w in c o m e people who s trugg le to m eet m on th ly bills, sa id A lad ean DeRose, ch ie f a s s i s t a n t city a tto rney . “T h e g o a l is to m a i n t a i n r a te s as eq u i ta b le as p o ss i­ b le fo r a l l u s e r s , ” D eR ose said. “For the p as t few y ears r e s id e n ts have b een pay ing m ore and subsid iz ing la rg e r u s e r s .” Notre Dame did not partic-