Whitestown council hears presentation on proposed sale of town water utility to Citizens Energy Group

Whitestown Town Council members and residents heard detailed presentations July 8 on a proposed sale of the town’s water utility to Citizens Energy Group, including a proposed purchase price of $37,000,000, projected customer bill savings and a regulatory timeline that would require approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

The presentations were given by Dan Cutshall, the town’s engineer of record for nearly 20 years; Jeff Harrison, president and CEO of Citizens Energy Group; and Jeff (Hallman/Willman), Citizens vice president of water operations. Council President (presiding officer) opened the meeting and emphasized that the session was informational and that no vote would be taken that night.

The presentations summarized Whitestown’s current water arrangements and options. Cutshall said Whitestown has no active treatment plant or wells and currently purchases all water from Citizens as a wholesale customer. He described two town pump stations (one he said can pump about 2,000,000 gallons per day and the other about 6,000,000 gallons per day), and said average daily use in Whitestown is about 1,600,000 gallons per day with peak daily demand roughly double that amount. Cutshall added the town’s current water contract with Citizens is limited to a capacity figure that the transcript did not specify and that negotiating additional contract capacity would be costly.

Cutshall also reported results of statutorily…