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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1975)
Weather Partly cloudy Wednesday and Thursday with 30 per cent chance of afternoon and evening showers and thundershowers. High both days 87; low tonight 71. Che B Inside Gramm p. 2 Kissing p. 4 Baseball p- 6 Vol. 68 No. 120 College Station, Texas Wednesday, May 28, 1975 TAMU directors OK fee increases By KARLA MOURITSEN Campus Editor The TAMU Board of Directors authorized increases for the room, board and laundry fees for the fall semester and the establishment of a Center for Energy and Mineral Re sources during its meeting Tuesday morning. President Jack Williams told the Board that the increases were “necessary to meet inflation and the mandatory raises that we have to give the personnel in the dormitory operation. He explained that the major cost increases would be in utilities, since it was anticipated that the cost of heat would rise 85 percent and the cost of electricity would go up 76 percent. Hot water for heating was expected to be 37 percent higher, and the cost of chil led water for air-conditioning would increase by 65 percent. Totalled, the projected utility increase per dormitory student was over 50 per cent. Labor costs bad also contributed to the necessary fee increases. The passage of a mandatory pay raise by the state legislature February 1 of this year caused a $325,000 hike in the payroll of the Food Services Department alone. The laundry service also experienced increased costs, as the pay raises amounted to an additional $30,000 for the fiscal year 1974-1975, and would increase next year’s budget by at least $50,000. Howard Vestal, assistant vice- president for business affairs, said, “These increases will carry us through next semester, but we may have to raise fees again next year.” Vestal was concerned that the op eration of the laundry continue, say ing, “We ll have a fairly unattractive student body if we don t offer the laundry service.” When laundry was made optional last fall, 80 per cent of the dormitory students con tinued to use the service. That number dropped to 65 percent dur ing the spring semester, thus de creasing revenue as costs soared. The approved increases are as follows: Dormitories (with present rates in parentheses) Legett, Hotard, Milner ($117.00) $135.00 Hart, Law, Puryear, Walton ($137.00) $155.00 Dorms 1-12, Crocker, Davis-Gary, Moore, Moses ($220.00) $235.00 Fowler, Keathley, Mclnnis, Schumacher, Hughes ($235.00) $250.00 Krueger, Dunn, Aston, Mosher ($350.00) $375.00 P ar liven Board (with present rates in irentheses) !-day ($320.00) $347.00 seven-day ($358.00) $388. (K) Laundry (with present rates in parentheses) men ($30) $35.00 women ($20) $25.00 I City Briefs | BCS Councils to meet The Bryan and College Station city councils will hold a joint meeting tonight at the Ramada Inn. The meeting is an annual affair but will be highlighted this year with a discussion of the proposed utilities increase Bryan is asking of College Station. The meeting will begin at 7 with a dinner and continue at 7:30 with a discussion of matters of common interest to the two cities. Law prevents power pool Legislation signed into law two weeks ago by Governor Briscoe practically assures that College Station cannot enter the Texas Municipal Power Pool. (TMMP) The legislation says that to enter a municipal power author ity, an area must be a public community which has authority to and is engaged in generation of energy for public sale. Lou Odle, TMMP chairman, said the TMMP is now in the process of reorganizing under the new guidelines. Odle said that after the reorganization College Station would not be eligible to enter that particular power pool. New supermarket congestion The foundation for the new Safeway Supermarket located just off Texas Avenue between Highway 30 and Dominik Drive is now being prepared. The supermarket is expected to increase already con gested traffic in the area. Bill Koehler, College Station City Planner, said the “buildingpermit requires easy access.” Deac celeration lanes are to be installed to accomplish this. Koehler also said a traffic light for Dominik Drive and Texas Avenue is not planned at this time. The Safeway supermarket is part of Phase I of Culpepper Plaza, a shopping center which will cover 365, 491 square feet. The supermarket will occupy 30,304 square feet of this space. According to the agreement between the Culpepper Realty Company and 3C Construction Co., the Safeway store must be finished by the end of September. Married Student Apartments (with present rates in parentheses) Southside (3 bedroom) — ($1(X).()0) $114.(X) Southside (furnished) — ($70.00) $80.00 Old College View (2 Bdnn. Fur.) — ($63.00)$72.00 Old College View (1 Bdnn. Unfur.) — ($52.00)$60.00 Hensel ($85.00) $97.00 College View (Brick) — ($125.00) $143.00 College Avenue (1 Bdrm. Fur.) — ($125.00)$ 143.00 Hji College Avenue (2 Bdrm. Fur.) — ($135.00)$ 154.00 The Moody College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Resources was also authorized a room and board increase. Prairie View A&M received an increase in board fees. Both of these colleges operate under the TAMU system. Dr. John C. Calhoun, vice- president for academic affairs, pre sented the proposal for the estab lishment of a Center for Energy and Mineral Resources which would allow for research, analytical studies, and educational programs in the fields of energy and other re sources. Calhoun stressed that the Center “would be the focal point of all of the university’s talent in this one field.” There are currently 20 energy- related programs being conducted by TAMU. The Board of Directors awarded $13,378,000 in contracts. Among these was an $8,395,050 contract to the George Fuller Company of Chicago for the construction of the Animal Industries and Poultry Sci ences Center, to be located at the West Campus. The College Station firm of Jor dan & Woods received $221,320 for a new building at the TAMU Re search Annex for the Texas En gineering Extension Service Heavy Equipment School. It also received $194,175 to relocate four of the university’s greenhouses. An $84,780 contract was awarded to the Richmond Road and En gineering Company for the renova tion of many of the main campus’ streets. Wally Shield, Inc. of El Paso re ceived an $712,800 contract to con struct an Agricultural Research Center at El Paso that would study water conservation in the produc tion of various commercial plants, such as cotton and pecans. Additional contracts were given for the expansion of the main cam pus’ utilities, the installation of the West Campus’ utilities, and for the modification of several rooms in the Zaehry Engineering Center. In other action by the board. Dr. Charles H. Sampson was reap pointed as chairman of the Athletic Council. The Athletic Council ap proves all athletic budgets and re commends admission prices for ath letic events. TAMU officials were authorized by the board to take a proposed Master of Public Administration Degree to the State Coordinating Board for approval. Dr. Calhoun said, "The purpose of the MPA is to assist people in public administra tion work and to add to their profes sional competency.” He added, “We will produce synthesizers. They will have the administrative knowhow to understand the prob lem so they can work it out judici ously.” The TAMU Board of Directors met Tuesday to discuss several agenda items. Among the many proposals passed by the board was an eight per cent increase in room, board and laundry fees over last year’s figure. Photo by Tom Kayser CS utilities Large savings possible The following story is based on proposals now before the Col lege Station City Council. Fact ual material, however, has been supplemented by the writer’s own interpretations. By JERRY NEEDHAM City Editor Gulf States Utilities said Thurs day that if College Station had been purchasing power from Gulf Sates during the past year, the city’s resi dents could have saved one-third of a million dollars. Gulf States Utilities has power transmission lines located on two sides of College Station. Gulf States said the company has adequate power available within a reasonable amount of time to serve College Sta tion. The problems College Station would have in attempting to change to Gulf States as a source of power are complex. The principal problem lies in es tablishing substations in the city to relay the power through the existing lines. The substations now being used by College Station are owned by Bryan. New substations would have to be built by College Station or by Gulf States. John Denison, president and owner of the electrical consulting firm College Station uses, said at the May 15 city council meeting that his cost estimate for the city changing over to Gulf States if Gulf States built the substations would be $125,000 to $200,000. If Gulf States required College Station to build its own substations then the costs could run to over $1 million. This would leave Bryan with un usable substations located in Col lege Station. Bryan has spent a con siderable amount of money in estab lishing these substations but Col lege Station may have indirectly paid for the capital outlay for these substations through the rates charged to the city for power. The cost of new substations would also be a major problem to be consi dered. A bond issue would be re quired to build the substations. Ill feelings that could be created if College Station were to cancel the power contract with Bryan are also a consideration. Since College Sta tion would still have to deal with Bryan for water and sewer services, these ill feelings may not be condu cive to low rates for these services. With the rising and fluctuating costs of producing energy. College Station could not be sure of getting consistently lower rates from Gulf States. Bryan’s energy outlook is good with the lignite holdings and the construction of the Dansby Plant. Bryan seems to be planning well for the future and to be looking out for College Station’s interests and fu ture needs. The recent request for a rate in crease may seem unjustified but nevertheless is being charged to the residents of Bryan. This indicates fairness by the City of Bryan as the most College Station residents can ask is to be treated equally with the residents of Biyan. Economics and diplomacy point to the extension of the power con tract with Bryan. On the other hand, Bryan should have no qualms if the City of College Station wishes to shop around for water and there fore wants to have a more flexible water contract. CS Council seeks weter well, annexes land, adopts new code By JERRY NEEDHAM City Editor The College Station City Council was presented a proposal from the Whalen Corporation to share the costs of drilling for water in College Station. Under the proposed agreement, the Whalen Corp. would drill a test well to determine whether potable m > dbd,- V 5 ..V; v '*7; • o. v' r'i and producable water lies under College Station. It is believed there are levels of subsurface sand under College Sta tion in which water can be found. If the city enters into the agree ment, it would be obligated to pay approximately half of the $42,000 cost if the test well fails. If successful the Whalen Corp. would pay all of the $200,000 cost to produce the well. The council will consider the proposal and decide whether or not to enter into an agreement at their June 12 meeting. In other Council business: A motion was passed calling for a public hearing at the June 12 meet ing to get public input as to how $105,000 of revenue sharing funds should be used in the community. A 351 acre tract of land was re ceived into the city limits of College Station. The land is owned by Southwood Valley Incorporated and adjoins the southeast city limits. While the council was in the pro cess of adopting the 1973 edition of the Standard Building Code, Coun cilman Homer Adams raised the point that $34,190 of the city’s fire fighting expense last year was used in fighting fires on TAMU property. -sPipii - ■ - - •• sgf Y'%*- Gravesites of Reveille I and H, the Texas Aggies’ first two mas cots, were dressed up this spring. The burial site of the part-Spitz, part-collie and Shet land Shepherd dogs are outside the north end of Kyle Field. Texas A&M grounds mainte nance personnel refurbished the plot. Railroad group to hear fuel story A public hearing to be held before the Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) on Tuesday could start proceedings to elimi nate the use of natural gas as a boiler fuel in Texas. The TRC has determined that production currently ex ceeds reserve additions and that existing natural gas reserves in Texas will last approximately ten years if natural gas remains the major fuel for boilers with production continuing at 1973 rates. If the TRC does follow through and eliminate natural gas as a boiler fuel in Texas then alternative fuel sources must be used. When asked what fuel alternatives could be resorted to, a spokesman for the Gas Utilities Division of the TRC said Tues day, “There has been no research in this area. Under this program there would probably be a gradual conversion from natural gas to other readily available alternates.” The spokesman said his own opinion but not necessarily the opinion of the Railroad Commissioners, is that coal and fuel oil could satisfy these needs.