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City Council Looks to Implement Transportation Utility Fee

The Memphis City Council is looking to implement a transportation utility fee to fund roadway and transit projects.

Councilman Edmund Ford Jr. said the fee would be used to fund roadway improvement projects, such repairing curb and gutters, as well as support the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA)’s new transit plan.

“I think it’s time for us to look at ways that we can garner enough funds that we don’t rely so much on property taxes,” Ford said. “I know we’re not in the phase of putting the ordinance together, but I think the discussion is important if we’re serious about funding MATA, as well as making sure public works has what it needs.”

The fee would be tacked on to Memphis Light, Gas and Water bills and would be similar to the stormwater fee, Wayne Gaskin, former city of Memphis engineer told the council. The residential and non-residential rates would be based on the amount of trips a property generates and could range from $4.75 to $15. Gaskin said the fee could generate more than $30 million in revenue each year.

This revenue will be used to offset the costs of road projects and create a dedicated source of funding for MATA, Ford said.

Last month, Robert Knecht, director of Public Works, told the council that the city doesn’t have dedicated funding for street improvement projects, such as fixing sidewalks. With more funding, other improvements such as switching to LED traffic signals could take place. To implement all of the roadway improvements currently needed citywide, Knecht said it would cost $60 to $80 million.

To upkeep sidewalks only, it would cost an additional $19 million a year.

The city is currently on an approximate 25-year street paving cycle, Knecht said. This means on average all 8,816 lane miles of street will get re-surfaced at least once every 25 years. Knecht proposes a 20-year cycle, which would cost another $8 million a year. A 10-year cycle hikes the cost up by another $50 million.

Ford plans to draft a resolution for the transportation fee and present it to the council in two weeks.

“I think it’s a true example of finding a way to be creative, while making sure that people are paying their fair share,” Ford said. “About 310,000 cars come through the city of Memphis every single day.”

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Bag It

When dining out at a nice restaurant, those of us who don’t make six figures sometimes have a painful decision to make:

Buy a woefully inadequate bottle of $8 retail wine outrageously hiked up to $30 or splurge and suck up the $50 cost of a decent bottle.

Though not all restaurants add 300 to 400 percent to a wine’s retail cost, the steep markup is a pretty common practice in our capitalistic country. It pisses me off regularly, but restaurants do have staff, insurance, and utilities to pay.

There are, however, solutions to our suffering: Bring your own wine.

Say there’s a special bottle you’ve been aching to drink and you want to pop it at a restaurant, or maybe your local Thai joint doesn’t exactly carry a stellar wine selection of Rieslings (or anything, for that matter). A carefully chosen brown bag can be your meal savior. Not all restaurants embrace bring-your-own (and I’ve rarely seen it publicized), but increasing numbers are okay with it, provided you pay a small service charge called a “corkage fee.”

Corkage fees vary from restaurant to restaurant, with average costs ranging from $5 to $20. The fee helps cover costs, not to mention the loss of profit. It’s a fair deal all around.

There is, however, strict etiquette to follow. If you practice good corkage, the server or sommelier may decide to waive the corkage fee and let you off with a freebie.

Do’s and don’ts for BYOW

• Call ahead to the restaurant to make sure it allows you to bring wine. Ask up front what the corkage fee is. If it tops $20, rethink the decision or at least bring in a wine worth more than that. Chances are the staff will oblige since you didn’t assume it was okay. And remember, they don’t have to allow it — consider it a favor.

• Don’t bring in something that’s already on their wine list. The point is to bring something they don’t offer.

• And since you’re reaching into their pockets a bit, don’t be obnoxious by toting in something cheap. The general rule is to bring a wine that costs at least as much as the corkage fee.

• Offer your server or sommelier a taste of your wine. This is the number-one way to suck up.

• Tip the server respectably for the wine you brought, since they did open and serve it for you. Bear in mind, you don’t need to drop 20 percent if you brought a $500 bottle of Bordeaux.

• If you drink a second bottle, make sure you buy it off their wine list. This shows you’re not a cheap ass.

With proper etiquette, BYOW is a beautiful budget balm. Drink better, splurge on that filet in wild mushroom sauce, but tip your server well.

Recommended Wines

Chateau Souverain 2005 Chardonnay Sonoma Valley — Although a tad expensive, hardcore oaky-buttery Chard fans will love this. Loaded with peaches and a lemony aftertaste. $17

J Lohr 2005 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles — Incredible value for a sophisticated, hearty wine with blackberry, baked cherries, and leather. $13

corkscrew@creativeloafing.com