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Painesville council hears multi-year utility rate proposals; electric increase adopted on first reading
Summary
Council approved an ordinance adopting electric rate increases recommended by a consultant and moved sewer and water rate ordinances to additional readings; officials also discussed reauthorizing funds and a fourth amendment for the city’s advanced metering infrastructure program with American Municipal Power.
Painesville City Council on first reading approved changes to the city’s electric rate ordinance based on a consultant study and moved related sewer and water rate ordinances to further readings for additional consideration.
City staff presented the results of a rate study by a consultant (identified in the meeting as USF) recommending increases phased over multiple years; the council voted to adopt the electric ordinance on the evening’s first reading. A presenter identified only as “Joe” summarized the study and said the city plans three years of increases now with the possibility of revisiting later if planned battery and solar projects reduce future pressure on rates.
Separate proposed ordinances to raise sewer and water rates were discussed and sent forward for additional readings; staff said both had been the subject of prior presentations and supporting documentation available to council. The sewer ordinance and the water ordinance were described as multi-year rate updates; council did not vote to adopt them at this meeting.
Councilors also reviewed a request to reappropriate remaining funds for the city’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) deployment with American Municipal Power (AMP). City staff said the original purchase order dated to December 2019 and that delays and accounting changes required reappropriating funds, not increasing total spending. Staff described about $900,000 remaining in open purchase orders tied to the AMI project; AMP has requested a Fourth Amendment that would include roughly $100,000 of the existing balance, and staff proposed bringing an amended resolution and the Fourth Amendment for council consideration at the next meeting.
City staff recommended moving the AMI housekeeping resolution to second reading so the Fourth Amendment can be attached and reviewed; council agreed to send the item to a future meeting. Officials said the reauthorization would not request new net spending beyond amounts previously approved in the purchase order but would reestablish authority to complete the AMI deployment and associated integration work.
