NEWS
City absorbing $700,000 to $800,000 in PCR shortfall
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
There was a 4-2 vote this week by the Bowie City Council not to increase the Power Cost Recovery Factor, which is part of the electric customer’s bill.
The item was listed as Power Cost Recovery increase and the council went into closed executive session citing competitive utility issues. After almost an hour the council returned to open session with Councilor TJay McEwen making a motion to accept the recommendation as presented by the city manager.
McEwen and Stephanie Post were the only yes votes with the motion failing. The meeting then adjourned.
There was about a dozen people in the audience who waited out the session many who afterward said on social media they felt their presence staved off a power rate increase. The majority of the city council also did not want to be the ones to raise electric rates which always creates citizen unrest.
With little information about what was proposed, City Manager Bert Cunningham said after the meeting he wanted to help educate the public on the PCRF and why he proposed an increase of .0111 that would have been just under $9 a month for an average residential customer. The city has been absorbing between $718,000 to $$806,000 during the past two fiscal years.
From information also provided to the city council at the meeting, he explained the PCRF is the variable portion of wholesale power costs and changes as needed based on factors in the wholesale market, including, but not limited to, increases or decreases in the cost of natural gas, the fuel that generates most of the electricity in Texas.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
NEWS
Amon Carter Lake Board to meet
Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.
NEWS
Saint Jo City Council hires fire marshal
The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.
Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.
NEWS
City of Nocona buys water storage tank, review dam repair
The Nocona City Council approved a bid for a new 203,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water at the water plant and learned a slide repair to the lake dam is going to be pretty costly.
At its May 12 session the council received three bids on the tank and went with one from Tank Depot of Cleburne for $193,923. It is for a a 217,600 gallon tank usable for 203,000 gallons. The price could change slightly since it was based on estimate freight costs.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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