Uniontown council reviews electric offers
Uniontown City Council is reviewing proposals from two electric service providers offering reduced electric rates to lower the city’s electric bill. Premier Power Solution and Ketex Energy sent proposals offering to bill the city at .0640 cents per kilowatt.
Council on Wednesday tabled the proposals so they can be reviewed.
Premier’s proposal said the city is currently paying .0659 cents per kilowatt and the lower rate would save the city $6,945 a year in its electric bills for traffic signals, city buildings, parking garages and parks.
The company said the .0640 cents per kilowatt would be in effect from January 2011 to June 13, 2013.
Ketex’s proposal offers the same .0640 cents per kilowatt rate for all city buildings, parking garages, parks and traffic signals from January 2011 through June 2013.
“They are bidding for our business,” City Clerk Kimberly Marshall said at Wednesday’s council meeting.
Marshall added that current service provider, Allegheny Power, would continue to handle maintenance and repairs.
Fike said he believes Allegheny Power sells service rights to various providers and the two companies could be subsidiaries of Allegheny Power.
“I’m not in favor of jumping ship,” Councilman Blair Jones Sr. said, adding that Allegheny Power is a large company in the area.
Councilman Philip Michael said he agreed with Jones.
As the discussion continued, the lights in City Hall flickered as a storm passed through the area during the meeting, prompting Jones to say: “See, they’re messing with our lights already.”
In unrelated business, council addressed two police department issues, including promoting Officer David Rutter to captain.
A 13-year department veteran, Rutter’s promotion and salary of $22.38 an hour went into effect immediately.
Rutter’s wife and two children accompanied him to the council meeting, where his promotion drew a round of applause from the audience.
Mayor Ed Fike presented him with his new badge and he and council members offered their congratulations.
Fike said he worked with Rutter in recent contract negotiations between the city and police union and said he was proud to vote for the promotion.
Police Chief Jason A. Cox described Rutter as a dedicated professional and said he looks forward to working with him.
“Dave has been an asset in both administrative duties and day-to-day operations of the police department,” Cox said. “Dave has shown constant dedication and professionalism. I’m excited about his promotion.”
The department’s other captain, Ron Kozak, has been off work because of an injury for about a year and a half, Cox said.
The second police matter was the appointment of Dr. Evan Braun, a chiropractor, to the police civil service commission in advance of the anticipated resignation of a commission member.
Cox said he was pleased with Braun’s appointment, noting that he recently returned from a practice in another state to his native Uniontown to open an office.
In other business, council:
n Extended the city’s garbage collection contract with Veolia Environmental Services of German Township for a year until June 30, 2012, with no change in collection fees.
n Hired Pittsburgh attorney Bernie Schneider as special counsel on as-needed basis for labor disputes and contract negotiations at $150 an hour.
n Agreed to buy a new Ford F-550 dump truck for plowing snow in alleys for $45,000 through the state piggyback Costar program.
The truck will replace a 1991 dump truck.
n Authorized Laurel Business Institute (LBI) to install an 8-foot-tall, 127-foot-long fence on the wall on the top floor of the Penn Street parking garage to stop youths from accessing LBI’s roof from the garage, which LBI officials have reported.
n Ratified a maintenance agreement with the state Department of Transportation for a traffic signal at the intersection of Route 21 and Easy Street in front of Uniontown Hospital, which has agreed to make a one-time $10,000 payment to help the city maintain the signal.
n Agreed to schedule a public hearing to accept public comments about the proposed transfer of a liquor license from Franklin Township to Caporella’s Bella Cucina’s proposed location in Grindle Station on Morgantown Street. The restaurant is currently located in Perryopolis.
n Agreed to advertise for requests for proposals for investment management services for the police and fire pension plans.