[00:00:02]
WHICH ONE OF THESE GENTLEMEN[Town Council Work Session on September 11, 2023.]
WANNA TAKE THIS PODIUM HERE? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE YOU FIRST OR CARRIE FIRST.YEAH, I'LL INTRODUCE THEM RIGHT THERE.
SO, UH, BACK TO THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SITTING THROUGH THIS WITH, UM, CRAIG AND SOME PEOPLE FROM
SO WE HAVE A FEW BLOCKS OF POWER THAT'S FALLEN OFF, 24, 25, AND WE JUST START PLANNING TO, YOU KNOW, UP SPEED.
SO WE, WE CAN HAVE OUR POWER FOR 25 TO 28.
BUT, UH, WITH THAT, UH, MIKE, UH,
SO, UH, AS MENTIONED, MIKE MCLURE.
UH, SO I GUESS WE KINDA LOOK AT OUR POWER SUPPLY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOUR OLDER FOLKS IN THE COUNCIL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GO TO RETIREMENT PLANNING, WE SET UP A PORTFOLIO, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A NICE EVEN, YOU KNOW, UH, INCOME INTO OUR RETIREMENTS.
AND SAME THING WITH, YOU KNOW, POWER SUPPLY.
WE DON'T JUST SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA PUT ALL OUR MONEY ON, YOU KNOW, GE STOCK AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET THERE, WE TRY TO DIVERSIFY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT SOURCES THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER OVER THE, UH, YEARS TO, UH, DIVERSIFY AND KEEP OUR RATES, UH, STEADY.
UH, FIRST, FIRST THING WE LOOK AT IS, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT THE, UH, TOWN USES.
SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT COLORS OR VARIOUS, UH, YEARS OUR WEIGHTS ARE FORECAST, SO IT'S ABOUT 182,000 MEGAWATT HOURS, OR, UM, ELECTRICITY IS LIKE THE METRIC SYSTEM.
SO THAT'D BE 182 MILLION KILOWATT HOURS THAT THE, UH, TOWN USES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AN AVERAGE CUSTOMER USES ABOUT 10,000 KILOWATT HOURS, UH, PER YEAR THERE.
UH, A COUPLE THINGS YOU'LL NOTICE HERE IS, UM, AMPA IS 134, UH, MEMBERS THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, VIRGINIA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA MOSTLY, UH, MOST OF OUR MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, HAVE NATURAL GAS HEAT, SO THEY, YOU KNOW, PEAK IN THE SUMMER WHEN EVERYBODY'S USING THEIR AIR CONDITIONER.
SO, FRONT ROW IS A LITTLE, UH, UNUSUAL IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY USE MORE, UH, POWER IN THE WINTER WHEN EVERYBODY'S USING THEIR ELECTRIC HEAT IN TOWN THERE, WHICH USED TO BE A GOOD THING.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S MORE AND MORE THE ELECTRICITY IS GENERATED BY NATURAL GAS, AND NATURAL GAS IS MORE EXPENSIVE IN THE WINTER.
UH, NOWADAYS, NATURAL, UH, POWER PRICES ARE A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE, THE WINTER WHEN WE GO OUT AND, UH, TRY TO BUY POWER THERE.
ALSO, YOU'LL NOTICE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VARIATION THIS YEAR WE HAD ONE OF THE WARMEST, UH, WINTERS, UH, IN HISTORY.
SO JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE USAGE WAS, UH, DOWN COMPARED TO, UH, PREVIOUS YEARS THERE.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CALL THE ENERGY SUCH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE METER SPINNING.
THIS IS, THEN WE LOOK AT THE ONE HOUR, UH, MAXIMUM USAGE BY THE, UH, TOWN HERE.
AND THIS IS WHERE REALLY THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WEATHER REALLY SHOWS UP.
SO YOU, YOU'LL NOTICE IN DECEMBER OF TWO, UH, LAST YEAR, 2022, UM, WE HAD THAT BIG COLD SPELL COME THROUGH.
SO THE, UH, TOWN USED 50.9 MEGAWATTS, OR 50,000, UH, KILOWATTS, 51,000.
UH, VERSUS THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY, UH, COLD DAYS OR EVEN REALLY ANY REAL, UH, SUPER HOT DAY.
SO PEAK'S ONLY BEEN 43 MEGAWATTS, AND THAT WAS, UH, BACK IN FEBRUARY, IT WAS ONLY, UH, 18 DEGREES THERE.
SO, SO, UM, IT'S HARD TO, YOU KNOW, THE PLANE, YOU'LL SEE AS WE PUT OUR PORTFOLIO, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE 51 MEGAWATTS AVAILABLE FOR EVERY HOUR.
WE COULD SEE IT DOESN'T SHOW UP VERY OFTEN HERE, SO WE USUALLY, UH, GO OUT AND BUY THAT FROM SOMEBODY ON THE, ON THE MARKET.
SO AS WE, UH, GET PREPARED INTO SUPPLY ALL THAT POWER, WE, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, PUT TOGETHER A PORTFOLIO.
AND SO THIS IS, UH, NEXT YEAR, BUT IT'S ALSO PRETTY MUCH WHAT THIS YEAR THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE, AS I MENTIONED, WE TRY TO HAVE A NICE, UH, DIVERSIFIED YOU COLORFUL, UH, PIE CHART THERE.
UM, TWO BIG PIECES, THE PIE, WE WILL TALK ABOUT ALL THESE, UH, PRAIRIE STATES, OUR COAL PLANT.
AND THEN FREMONT IS OUR NATURAL GAS PLANT.
UM, OVER HERE WE GOT GREEN UP, MEL OIL, AMP, HYDRO, THOSE ARE ALL HYDRO PAN, UH, POWER PLUS.
UP IN THE OTHER CORNER WE HAVE SOLAR AND, UH, WIND.
SO ALL THAT, UH, MIX UP APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 17% OF OUR, OF YOUR PORTFOLIO IS, UH, RENEWABLE RESOURCES THERE.
AND THAT'S APPROXIMATE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE DIFFERENT YEARS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE HYDRO PRODUCED THAN OTHER YEARS, AND YOUR LOAD, UH, SWINGS AS WELL.
SO IT RESPONSES AROUND THAT 17%.
MIKE, CAN I ASK, IS THAT, IS THAT PRETTY STANDARD? LIKE, IS 17% LIKE FOR OTHER AREAS? IS THAT, IS THAT, UH, YEAH.
SO MOST OF THE AMP MEMBERS ARE IN THAT, UH, CATEGORY.
MOST OF THE, UH, INVESTOR ON UTILITIES, YOU KNOW, LIKE DOMINION AND A P, THEY USUALLY HAVE A SMALLER, UH, PERCENTAGE OF THAT.
SO WE'RE, UM, ABOVE NORMAL THERE RIGHT NOW, I'D SAY.
WHICH IS JOE POINTED OUT, WHEN WE GET TO YOUR RATES, YOUR RATES ARE, UM, PRETTY LOW.
AND, AND EVEN WITH THOSE LOW RATES, YOU STILL HAVE 17% RENEWABLE POWER IN THE PORTFOLIO.
I JUST REALIZED JOE'S PROBABLY SO EXCITED FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
[00:05:01]
CAN YOU, CAN YOU, CAN YOU, UH, DESCRIBE WHAT IT A EFFECT? OH, YEAH.I'LL DESCRIBE A LITTLE LATER TOO.
BUT, UH, SO THAT STANDS FOR OUR, UH, AMP FREMONT ENERGY CENTER.
SO THAT'S A NATURAL GAS, UH, FIRED POWER PLANT UP FREMONT, OHIO.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, UM, UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER HERE, YOU'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, TWO, UH, BLOCKS FROM SHELL.
AND THEN EXELON'S ANOTHER POWER COMPANY.
SO THOSE, UH, SHELL IS, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, WE KNOW 'EM AS A GAS STATION, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE COMMODITY BROKERS THAT BUY AND SELL OIL AND, YOU KNOW, UH, GASOLINE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO THEY ALSO, UH, BUY AND SELL POWER.
SO THEY GO OUT AND BUY IT FROM THE MARKET, AND THEY GIVE US A FIXED RATES.
SO WE'VE DONE A COUPLE, UH, DEALS WITH THEM.
UM, ONE, ONE GOES THROUGH, UH, 2024.
WE ACTUALLY BOUGHT THAT BACK IN 2016, PRESSURE CHEAP.
SO THAT'S A GOOD, A GOOD BLOCK TO HAVE.
UH, THEY OWN, UH, UH, BALTIMORE GAS ELECTRIC NOWADAYS.
THEY KEEP CHANGING NAMES ON US THERE, BUT, UH, THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER BLOCK THAT WE BOUGHT.
AND, UH, WE BOUGHT THAT BACK IN 2011 WHEN POWER WAS EXPENSIVE,
SO AT THE END OF 2024, WE HAPPY TO GET RID OF THAT, UH, BLOCK, BUT WHEN WE SAT TO GET RID OF THE, THE SHELL BLOCK HERE, SO THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, FIXED TERM CONTRACTS.
AND THEN DOWN HERE WE HAVE, UH, 1.2% ON THE MARKET.
SO, YOU KNOW, EVERY HOUR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S COMPANIES THAT ARE, HAVE EXCESS THAT ARE SELLING POWER, AND THERE'S COMPANIES THAT ARE SHORT BUYING POWER.
SO, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S A MARKET THAT'S ESTABLISHED A PRICE, AND SO EACH, UH, YOU'RE BUYING OR SELLING AT THAT FIXED PRICE THERE.
SO, SO NORMALLY WE LIKE TO HAVE ABOUT 10% OF OUR POWER ON THE MARKET, BUT, UH, LAST YEAR WHEN PRICES ARE HIGH, WE GOT, UH, A LITTLE NERVOUS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT WHAT THE MARKET MIGHT DO THIS YEAR.
SO WE BOUGHT THIS, UH, MONTHLY POWER FROM SHELL TO SORT OF, UH, TAKE OURSELVES OFF THE MARKET FOR, UH, THE SHORT TERM HERE.
AS, UH, KERRY MENTIONED, WE'RE MOSTLY TALKING ABOUT 2025 AND BEYOND.
YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, THOSE, UH, THAT SHELL AND THE EXELON GO AWAY, THEN WE'RE, UH, 30% ON THE MARKET, UH, IN 2005.
UM, AND THEN WE GET TO 2026 BACK HERE.
UH, THE MONTHLY POWER IN THE, UH, THE WIND POWER GO AWAY.
SO THEN WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 40, UH, PERCENT OF OUR POWER ON THE MARKET THERE.
NO, BECAUSE I, WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH IT.
I WAS GONNA SAY, 'CAUSE WE WENT THROUGH ALL, NOT THAT WE WENT THROUGH ALL THIS, BUT WE, WE WERE TRYING TO GET OURSELVES EDUCATED OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
SO THE NET MARKET IS THAT, IS THAT WHEN WE'RE MORE VULNERABLE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PAY WHAT'S THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I SAID WE LIKE USUALLY BE ABOUT 10% ON THE MARKET, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU SAW, YOU KNOW, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, OUR LOAD FLUCTUATES, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PRICES GO UP AND DOWN.
SO, YOU KNOW, PRICES ARE DOWN, IT'S GOOD TO BE ON THE MARKET.
UM, BUT ALSO, YEAH, YOU'RE VULNERABLE THE LAST YEAR WHEN, YOU KNOW, PRICES WENT UP MM-HMM.
SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T LIKE TO BE, YOU KNOW, 40% ON THE MARKET.
WE USUALLY TRY TO, UH, NARROW THAT DOWN.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT IS, UH, BUYING SOME POWER IN 25 AND 26.
THEN TO GET THAT BACK TO OUR, UH, UM, LEVEL THAT WE LIKE TO DEAL WITH.
SO 26 TO 20, UH, BEYOND, WHAT'S THAT? WE DON'T WANNA DOWN, JUST BEFORE WE HAD JOE AND CARRIE, WE HAD COUNCIL HAD TO BECOME YEAH.
THAT, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I WAS, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION IS BECAUSE IT TOOK ME MONTHS, MONTHS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.
SO BASICALLY THE NET MARKET IS KIND OF A GAMBLE.
SO THE GOAL IS TO NOT HAVE AS MUCH, RIGHT, YEAH.
WELL, AND SO I'M REALLY REMEDIAL WITH THIS, AND IT'S JUST TOTALLY OUT OF MY EXPERIENCE.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU, UM, IF WE, I, LET'S CALL 'EM VENDORS, OKAY.
IF, IF WE, IF WE CONTRACT WITH A NEW VENDOR FOR ONE OF THESE SERVICES, WIND, ELECTRIC, WHATEVER, UM, DO WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE ON OUR END? OR HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT WORK IF WE GO WITH SOMEBODY NEW? YEAH, SO WE, UM, SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, GOES OUT AND SHOPS, UH, FOR YOU WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, BUYING A SHELL POWER, WE HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 10, 10 DIFFERENT COMPANIES WE USUALLY DEAL WITH.
UM, AND THEN THEY, THEY DELIVER IT TO A CERTAIN POINT ON THE GRID.
AND THEN, UH, YOU'LL SEE AT THE END, PART OF YOUR COST IS PAYING ALLEGHENY POWER, WHICH ACTUALLY OWNS A TRANSMISSION, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE CONNECTED TO RAPPAHANNOCK.
UM, WE PAY THEM A MONTHLY FEE TO USE THEIR LINES TO DELIVER TO THE TOWN THERE THEN, SO THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSION, UH, NEEDED TO PAY FOR IT.
'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR THAT.
SO IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GET YOUR POWER FROM, YOU'VE ALREADY PAID FOR THE LINES JUST IN THE OUTLET, ESSENTIALLY.
SO OUR PURPOSE IN THIS TONIGHT IS, IS THAT COME 24, 25, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME THEY'RE GONNA DROP OFF.
AND WE GOTTA PICK UP SOME, RIGHT? NO, NO, ACTUALLY, WHAT MIKE'S HERE TONIGHT IS TO EDUCATE YOU ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH OUR PORTFOLIO.
BUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING
[00:10:01]
COUNCIL TO DO ON SEPTEMBER 25TH IS PASS A RESOLUTION TO ALLOW US TO GO OUT AND PROCURE THESE BLOCKS OF POWER WITH A NOT TO EXCEED DOLLAR AMOUNT.UH, BECAUSE I'M HONEST WITH YOU, WE ARE REALLY, THIS IS NOT A GOOD POSITION TO BE IN 16 MONTHS, 18 MONTHS OUT AND HAVE THAT BIG BLOCK.
SO WE NEED TO GET IN AND GET, GET SOME OF THESE BLOCKS FILLED IN.
SO OUR RISKS ARE, ARE REDUCED.
THIS IS ALMOST, OR IT IS COMMODITY TRADING AND, AND FUTURES TRADING.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE WHEN WE GET TO 25.6.
PART OF THE THING WE DO IS NOT ONLY SHOP, BUT TRY TO FIND THE RIGHT DAY TO BUY THE POWER.
JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BUYING NEW GAS AT THE GAS STATION, YOU GOT DOWN IT'S THREE 50 AND IT'S THREE 30.
OH, ACTUALLY A GOOD PRICE FROM PHILIP, YOU KNOW, VERSUS I SHOULDN'T HAVE WAITED, WAITED.
SO WE TRY TO ALSO, YOU KNOW, TRY NOT TO PERFECTLY TIME THE MARKET, BUT JUST LOOK, YOU KNOW, BUY IT WHEN WE THINK IT'S A GOOD DEAL THERE.
AND I THINK IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHEN WE RAN INTO THIS, WAS IT THE YEAR BEFORE LAST, AND WE HAD TO MAKE SOME LAST MINUTE DECISIONS OF BUYING POWER.
I WANNA SAY IT WAS LAST YEAR AT THE BEGINNING.
WE BOUGHT THE BEGINNING OF 2023.
I THINK THAT'S MICHELLE MONTHLY CAME IN THERE.
I MENTIONED DURING THE PRESENTATION THEN TYPICALLY WE LIKE TO LIKE BE GOOD FOR LIKE 10 YEARS OUT, OR LIKE, LIKE THIS IS VERY RARE AND NOT COMMON THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DIVERSIFY FOR A YEAR FROM NOW, 18 MONTHS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
SO HOPEFULLY WHATEVER COUNCIL DOES WITH THIS RESOLUTION STAFF, AND YOU KNOW, THIS WILL, LIKE, THE NEXT COUNCIL WON'T EVEN BE FACING THIS.
WELL, WE DO LIKE TO, AS YOU'LL SEE SOME OF OUR, SOME OF OUR OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UH, PRESENT OURSELVES OR HOPEFULLY GOOD DEALS IN 2026.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA LOCK IT EVERYTHING FOR 10 YEARS.
BUT OUR PORTION WILL BE SMALLER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GO, IF YOU GO BACK, MIKE, THAT I, I, I WANT TO SIGN THAT'S SIGNIFICANT THAT WE HAVE 17% RENEWABLE WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ANY MANDATES BY THE STATE OR THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRED.
THIS IS JUST GOOD THINKING, BRINGING IN THE SOLAR AND THE WIND AND HYDRO THROUGH THE AMP PARTNERSHIP.
UH, PART OF OUR, YOU KNOW, DIVERSIFICATION WAS 10 YEARS, GUESS ALMOST 15 YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE COAL'S IN FAVOR FOR A WHILE.
THEN, YOU KNOW, HYDROS IN POWER, GAS IS CHEAP, GAS IS EXPENSIVE.
SO THIS IS COAL POWER, UH, NATURAL GAS, HYDRO, YOU KNOW, WIND.
SO, AND WE TRY TO ALSO DIVERSIFY OUR SOURCES.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN, UM, DIFFERENT FEELINGS COME AROUND IN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTRY AND THE E P A RULES AND STUFF.
SO LUCKILY THAT, UH, HAS PAID OFF SO FAR.
SO YEAH, TALKING ABOUT OUR HYDRO PLANTS.
SO WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT HYDRO PROJECTS THAT AMFA HAS DEVELOPED.
UH, WE STARTED ALL THESE AROUND 2007, AND THEY CAME ONLINE IN 2016 OR SO.
SO THE AMP HYDRO PROJECT IS THREE.
UH, UH, THESE ARE ALL IN THE OHIO RIVER.
UM, LEMME GO TO THIS SLIDE REAL QUICK HERE.
SO WE HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT, UH, POWER HYDRO, UH, PLANTS ON THE OHIO RIVER.
UH, WILLOW ISLAND, CAMPBELLTON AND SMITHING ARE ALL PART OF THE AMP HYDRO PROJECT.
SO ONE COMBINED PROJECT, AND THEN MELDON AND GREENUP ARE THEIR OWN DAMS AND THEIR OWN, UH, PROJECTS THERE.
SO, UM, SO ARE THOSE NAMES WHERE THEY SERVE? YEAH, SO BASICALLY WHAT THE HYDRO PLANTS ARE IS, UH, ON THE OHIO RIVER, THEY PUT IN DAMS BACK IN LIKE THE SIXTIES TO CONTROL FLOODING AND, YOU KNOW, COULD MAKE THE RIVER, UH, LEVEL.
AND SO THOSE ARE ALL DIFFERENT NAMES OF THE DAMS, LIKE CAPTAIN AL AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GOT ALL, BUT THE WEST, VIRGINIA, VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY, UH, THOSE ARE JUST STATES.
THAT'S WHY I WAS LIKE, WE OKAY, GOTCHA.
SO TON'S LIKE AROUND HERE, MIDLANDS DOWN HERE, SO, AND THEN ALL THE LITTLE BLUE THINGS ARE THE, UH, RIVERS THAT ARE FEEDING THE OHIO RIVER.
SO, UM, SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE YOU GUYS WERE IN A DROUGHT, UH, THE OHIO RIVER VALLEYS EXPERIENCE A LITTLE BIT OF DRY WEATHER TOO.
SO WILLOW ISLAND BEING UP THE TOP OF THE RIVER, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, UH, IN
AND SMITH AND CAMPBELLTON HAS A LOT OF, UH, WATERSHED.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE RUNNING ABOUT HALF LOAD RIGHT NOW.
DO WE HAVE, WHO DEFINES THOSE, LIKE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES? DO, ARE THEY PRE, LIKE, DO YOU HAVE LIKE A, A KNOWLEDGE OF HOW FEASIBLE IT IS, HOW FAR WEST WE COULD GO? LIKE, COULD WE GO TO THE MISSISSIPPI, YOU KNOW, OR IS, OR WAS THAT LIKE OUT THE QUESTION? UH, NO, NOT REALLY.
YOU KNOW, UH, AS YOU'LL SEE, ONE OF THE, THE GRID THAT WE PAY FOR ACTUALLY COVERS PRETTY MUCH THIS WHOLE, UH, WATERSHED.
SO WE PAY THE SAME AMOUNT TO DELIVER OUR POWER FROM SMITH FUND AS WE DO FROM, YOU KNOW, WILLOW ISLAND, GREEN OF CLOSE.
BUT, AND SO WE'RE GONNA TALK, ONE OF THE, UH, DAMS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT PROJECTS IS A SMOKY MOUNTAIN HYDRO.
SO, UM, THAT'S DOWN IN TENNESSEE THERE.
SO, UH, USUALLY THE EAST EASTERN, THEY CALL IT THE EASTERN GRID, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, MOST OF, SO MOST OF THE, ANYWHERE FROM THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE EAST IS A FEASIBLE PLACE TO BUY POWER FROM.
[00:15:01]
SO, YEAH, SO, UH, SO LAND HYDRO PROJECT, UM, SO THE GOOD THING ABOUT HYDRO IS THEY LAST, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS.'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF MOVING PARTS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WATER'S GOING THROUGH AND THEY'RE SPINNING THE TURBINE.
SO, SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE SPREAD THE DEBT OUT 'CAUSE THESE ARE OUR MOST EXPENSIVE, UH, POWER SUPPLY.
SO THOSE GO OUT THROUGH, UH, 2049.
SO THE WAY THESE DAMS WORK IS, OR THESE PROJECTS IS AMP IS THE OWNER.
AND SO WE GO OUT AND BORROW THE MONEY THROUGH 2049, AND THEN OUR MEMBERS HAVE CONTRACTS TO BUY THAT POWER THROUGH AT LEAST THE END OF THE DEBT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO CONTINUE BUYING IT AFTER DEBT'S PAID FOR.
SO, UM, AND SO IN GREENUP IS THE LAST ONE THAT, THAT GOES THROUGH 2045.
AS I MENTIONED, THESE ARE OUR MOST EXPENSIVE PROJECTS, ABOUT NINE $93 A MEGAWATT, WHICH IS 9.30 CENTS.
SO YOUR OVERALL POWER PORTFOLIO IS ABOUT 8 CENTS OR $80 A MEGAWATT.
SO THESE, YOU KNOW, MAKE UP A LITTLE ON THE HIGH SIDE THERE.
BUT, UM, AS I MENTIONED, ONCE WE GET TO 2049, ALL YOUR GRANDKIDS WILL BE HAPPY THAT THEY GOT DEBT FREE, UH, GREEN POWER THERE.
THEN WE GO TO, UH, THE FOSSIL UNITS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
SO, AS WE MENTIONED, AAC IS THE AMP FREMONT ENERGY CENTER.
SO THAT'S AMPS LARGEST, UH, UH, GENERATOR.
SO THAT RUNS BY, UH, NATURAL GAS, SO UP IN NORTHERN OHIO.
AND, UH, SO THAT DECK GOES OUT THROUGH 2041 THAT CAME ONLINE IN, UH, 2012 THERE.
AND ONE NICE THING ABOUT, UH, SO THE, THE HYDRO PROJECTS, YOU'RE INSURED AT THE MERCY OF MOTHER NATURE, WHETHER YOU GOT WATER OR NOT, VERSUS FREMONT, YOU KNOW, UM, AND THAT'S WHERE GAS PLANT'S PRETTY FLEXIBLE.
SO IT RUNS ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME.
SO A LOT OF TIMES OVERNIGHT WE CAN BUY POWER FROM SOMEBODY ELSE CHEAPER.
SO IT CAN SHUT DOWN OVERNIGHT OVER THE WEEKENDS, AND THEN IT'LL START BACK UP DURING THE DAY.
SO, UM, SO IT HAS NICE FLEXIBILITY TO FOLLOW THE, THE MARKET VERSUS THEN PRAIRIE STATE IS OUR COAL-FIRED PLANT.
SO THAT'S IN, UH, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.
THAT WAS ALSO, UH, CAME ONLINE IN 2012.
UM, IT WAS, UH, CONCEIVED BACK IN 2006, STARTED BUILDING THERE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE MENTIONED ABOUT THE DIVERSIFICATION BACK IN 2006, YOU KNOW, NATURAL GAS WAS PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WAS JUST WORRIED ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA BUILD THE NEXT COAL FIRED PLANE.
SO THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU KNOW, NOT TOO LONG AFTER THAT, PRAIRIE STATE WAS ALMOST THE LAST, UH, COAL PLANT BUILT IN THE, THE COUNTRY THERE, UH, FIRST STATE HAS A NICE ADVANTAGE THAT WE ACTUALLY OWN ALL THE COAL AS WELL.
SO ALL THE COAL IS UNDERGROUND NORTH OF THE PLANT.
AND THIS FIRST STATE IS WHAT'S CALLED A MINE MOUTH, UH, PLANT, WHICH IS ABOUT ONLY FOUR IN THE COUNTRY.
SO THE COAL COMES RIGHT OUT ON THE GROUND, UM, RIGHT HERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PICTURE, AND THEN GOES THE CONVEYORS ACROSS THE STREET.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COAL PRICE INCREASES OR INTERRUPTIONS OF TRANSPORTATION OR, UH, TRANSPORTATION INCREASES.
SO POLAR STATE IS ONE OF THE CHEAPEST, UH, POWER PLANTS IN THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, HYDRO OR, OR WIND OR SOLAR.
SO IT RUNS ABOUT 24 HOURS A DAY, PRETTY, UH, FLAT THERE.
UM, SO AMP, SO THIS IS ONE UNIQUE, UH, PROJECT AS WELL.
IT'S A 1500 AND, UH, 62 MEGAWATT PLANT, BUT AMP IS ONLY OWNS 23% OF THAT.
SO THERE'S OTHER PUBLIC POWER AGENCIES IN INDIANA, ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI ARE THE REST OF THE OWNERS.
AND SO OUT 360 8, THEN, UH, FRONT ROYAL'S CONTRACTED FOR 1.5 MEGAWATTS OR 15 7 3, AND THAT, THAT GOES THROUGH 2045 THERE.
SO, UH, COMBINED, UH, COST OF THOSE TWO PLANTS IS ABOUT $57 A MEGAWATT HOUR, 5.7.
AND THIS THEN, AND THE THING TO REMEMBER THAT, UM, THE COAL AND UH, AND, UH, UM, NATURAL GAS IS ABOUT 50% OF OUR PORTFOLIO, WHICH GIVES US A GOOD BASELINE FOR COST.
BECAUSE IT'S HALF THE COST HYDRO, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH.
SO THEN WE HAVE THE, UH, SOLAR PHASE TWO PROJECT, WHICH, UM, UH, SOLAR IN, UH, FRONT ROW IS PART OF THIS, UH, PROJECT HERE.
SO WE HAVE, UM, 16 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT, UH, UH, AMPS MEMBERSHIP.
ALL OF 'EM ARE INSIDE THE, UH, AMP MEMBER TOWNS.
SO THAT MAKES UP 58 MEGAWATTS.
ONCE AGAIN, THAT, UH, PROJECT'S OWNED BY AMP.
UH, WE FINANCE IT OUT THROUGH 2043.
SO, UM, AM I CONTRACTUALLY, ARE WE OBLIGATED THROUGH THE END OF THAT DEBT OR NO? YES, YES.
SO YEAH, AMP HAS THE DEBT AND THEN WE HAVE CONTRACT WITH ALL THE MEMBERS TO BUY THAT POWER THROUGH.
UH, UM, AND THERE'S ONE OTHER THING YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT AMP, BUT WE COULD, WE'RE LIKE A CAFETERIA PROJECT.
SO, UM, SO EVERY TIME I MENTION ABOUT MEMBERS, EACH MEMBER, EACH TIME WE DO A PROJECT, EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE OR NOT PARTICIPATE THERE.
SO, SO YOU HAVE, WE HAVE OTHER PROJECTS THAT FRONT ROW DID NOT, UH, PARTICIPATE IN.
AND THE SOLAR PHASE TWO IS, UH, ABOUT 35 MEMBERS OUT OF 135 THAT PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
SO, UM, AND THEN LOCUST RIDGE, UH, SO UP IN NORTHERN, UH, PENNSYLVANIA, THERE, UH, WE, THAT'S WHAT WE CALL A POWER
[00:20:01]
PURCHASE AGREEMENT.SO WE DON'T OWN THAT, UH, PROJECT.
IT'S A SPANISH COMPANY THAT DEVELOPS WIND AND SOLAR.
SO THEY DID A THREE YEAR DEAL WITH US.
SO WE BUY THAT POWER THROUGH 2025 THERE.
SO, UM, OUTTA THE A HUNDRED MEGAWATTS AND, UH, FRONT ROW GETS 1.6% OF WHATEVER IT GENERATES.
AND SO THOSE TWO ARE NICE AND LOW.
SO AT LOCUS RIDGE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PRETTY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF YOUR PORTFOLIO, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT ROLLS OFF AT THE END OF 25 THAT WE'RE LOOK INTO, UH, UH, REPLACE.
AND WOULD THE IDEA BE THAT WE TRY TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S WIND? UH, YEAH, SO WE SOME OTHER TYPE OF RENEWABLE ANYWAYS.
I WAS JUST RIGHT MENTIONED THESE THREE GOT CONTRACT, SO WE BOUGHT, UH, TWO AND A HALF MEGAWATTS.
AND SO SEVEN BY 24 MEANS THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT POWER EVERY HOUR, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 24, UM, HOURS A DAY THERE.
SO WE GOT TWO AND A HALF MEGAWATTS OF $67.
AND THEN THE THREE MEGAWATTS, AS I MENTIONED, WAS A NICE PRICE IN TWO 16 AT $33 MEGAWATT HOURS.
SO BOTH OF THOSE GO THROUGH 2024.
AND THEN THE SHELL MONTHLY WAS WHAT YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT.
WE DID AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, UM, AS PRICES WERE CONTINUING TO, TO, UH, CLIMB.
SO WE, WE BOUGHT SOME POWER TO COVER OUR, UH, WINTER NEEDS DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY, AND THEN WE BOUGHT SOME, UH, SUMMER POWER.
AND SO FIVE BY 16 IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE NEW RESOLUTION.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS FIVE DAYS A WEEK, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND THEN 16 HOURS A DAY FROM 7:00 AM TO 11:00 PM SO WE CALL THAT MORE ON FEET POWER.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO YOU'D GET THOSE, UH, 106 OR, UM, FIVE 80 HOURS A GOOD MATH.
THOSE TWO THINGS AT THE TOP YES.
THAT ARE, THAT ARE COMING OFF SOON, LIKE NEXT YEAR.
UM, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, DO THOSE, DO THOSE, ARE THOSE PRICES LIKE, OH MY GOSH, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE
I MEAN, LIKE, IT'S GOING UP FOR NOW.
I GOT A LITTLE GRAPH TO SHOW YOU, BUT RIGHT NOW YOU COULD BUY SOMETHING BY 24 BLOCK FOR ABOUT $45 MEGA HOUR.
YEAH, WE'RE MAKING MONEY ON SAVING MONEY ON THE EXON, BUT LOSING MONEY ON THE SHELL THERE.
BUT AS LONG AS IN THE END, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT 92.25
UM, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THEN PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR PORTFOLIO, THIS IS ANOTHER WAY WE LOOK AT IT IS, UM, SO THIS IS YOUR HOURLY LOAD FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, SEE, YOU KNOW, THE 50 MEGAWATT PE GUN, DECEMBER 24TH THERE, AND JUST YOU, THAT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ABOUT 14 MEGAWATTS, UM, 24 HOURS A DAY.
YOU GOT A LITTLE VARIATION IN THE, UH, SPRING AND FALL.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MOVE AROUND, UH, SOMEWHERE.
UH, SO WE NEED ABOUT 14 MEGAWATTS OF THAT SEVEN BY 24, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE CLOCK POWER.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT LONG TERM, WE'VE GOT PRAIRIE, STATE AND HYDRO.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE SECOND PART, THAT'S WHAT WE CALL MORE INTERMEDIATE.
SO THAT'S MORE OF THE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, FIVE BY 16 TYPE OF, UH, LOAD THERE.
AND THAT'S WHERE FREMONT, YOU KNOW, FITS IN.
SO FREMONT, YOU KNOW, GETS, GET BACK ITSELF DOWN WHEN THE LOAD BELOW THAT, IF, YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T, UH, SELL TO THE MARKET THERE.
SO THAT GETS US UP TO A 19 MEGAWATTS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN 19 AND 50, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ENERGY ANYMORE.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE LOOK AT THE SOLAR, MOSTLY SOLAR, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT IN.
AND WE BUY, YOU KNOW, SOME, WE BOUGHT THAT, UH, SHELL MONTHLY POWER TO FILL IN THAT WINTER, WINTER NEED THERE.
WE'RE GROWING REALLY NEED AT THE MOST REST OF THE YEAR.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THEN FOR THE FUTURE IS, UH, A FIVE BY MEGAWATT, SOMETHING BY 24 BLOCK OF, OF INCORRECT ABOUT FIVE BY 16.
SO, UM, AND WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON IS PASSING THAT RESOLUTION TO ALLOW US TO BUY FOR 2025 TO 2028.
UH, BUT OUR PLAN IS ONLY BY RIGHT NOW, 2025 AND HAVE, UH, 2026 TO 2028 AVAILABLE IF WE NEED IT.
IF THE SECOND THING DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE.
SO WHAT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT IN 2026 IS, UM, THE U SS D A DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE JUST PUT OUT A, UM, ABOUT THE WAY, YEAH, THEY PUT OUT A, UH, ABILITY FOR, UH, MUNICIPALS AND CO-OPS TO APPLY FOR A GRANT TO GET A 25% DISCOUNT OFF A, UM, POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS OF RENEWABLE POWER.
OTHER IDEAS THEY'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE AS PART OF THE INFLATION AND REDUCTION ACT, I, THEY'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE MORE RENEWABLE POWER.
SO, UM, SO AMP IS, RIGHT NOW, IN THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR THAT GRANT, WE HAVE TO PUT THE APPLICATION IN BY SEPTEMBER 13TH.
SO THAT, THAT CAME OUT LIKE A MONTH AND A HALF AGO TO THE GRANT OPPORTUNITY.
SO WE WERE IN HUSTLING AROUND TRYING TO FIND SELLERS
[00:25:01]
OF RENEWAL POWER THAT WE COULD DO MORE POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS LIKE THAT LOCUS RIDGE.SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED THREE, AND THEN ALL OUR MEMBERS HAVE PUT IN LETTERS OF INTEREST TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE INTERESTED IN THIS POWER, IT'S NON-BINDING, BUT THAT WAY WE CAN TELL THE U S D A, OKAY, WE GOT ALL THIS, UH, ALL OUR MEMBERS WANT THIS, UH, RENEWABLE POWER IF YOU GIVE US THIS GRANT.
SO IT'S, WE'VE NEVER HAD THIS BEFORE.
WE GET A 25% DISCOUNT ON POWER, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S A PRETTY GOOD DEAL.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WIND POWER FROM, UH, BLUE CREEK UP IN OHIO.
SO WE'VE GOT, UH, SIX, 6.6 MEGAWATTS, UH, RECOMMENDED FOR A FRONT OIL THERE THAT, THAT COVERS YOUR BASE LOAD.
UH, SMOKEY MOUNTAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THAT HYDROPOWER DOWN IN TENNESSEE, THAT'S 2.2 MEGAWATTS.
AND THAT ONE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN OUR OTHER HYDRO PROJECTS 'CAUSE IT COMES FROM RESERVOIRS.
SO IT'S WHAT WE CALL IT, YOU KNOW, DISPATCHABLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD STOP THE WATER AND GENERATE WHEN YOU NEED IT AND NOT GENERATE WHEN YOU DON'T NEED IT.
VERSUS OUR AMP HYDRO, YOU, WE JUST HAVE TO GENERATE WHEN THE WATER'S COMING DOWN.
ONE'S AT FONT RESERVOIR, I BELIEVE SO YEAH, ONE OF THOSE.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE WOULD BE, UH, UM, A COUPLE, UH, MORE SOLAR PPA.
SO THESE WOULD BE NOT LIKE OURS.
UH, SOLAR PHASE TWO PROJECT, OR AMP OWNS IT.
THESE WOULD BE OTHER COMPANIES OWNING, UH, NEW SOLAR PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD BUY A POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT FROM.
AND SO THAT ONE WE GOT 8.3 MEGAWATTS RECOMMENDED FRONT OIL.
SO IF EVERYTHING WORKS OUT RIGHT, WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THESE, UH, UH, POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS IN OUR PORTFOLIO IN 2026.
AND WE ONLY NEED TO BUY AT FIVE MEGAWATT, 5.5 MEGAWATTS FOR 2025.
BUT IF THINGS GET DELAYED, LIKE, UM, I GUESS I HATE CRITICIZE THE GOVERNMENTS.
OH, YOU'RE FREE TO DO SO HERE, BUT IF THINGS GET DELAYED, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BUY IT AT 5.5 FOR, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL YEAR OR TWO IF WE NEED IT.
SO, MIKE, ARE THESE THE BLUE CREEK, SMOKEY MOUNTAIN? ARE THOSE IN PRODUCTION ALREADY? THEY PRODUCING ENERGY.
BLUE CREEKS UNDER IS, UH, ALREADY BEEN IN SERVICE FOR ABOUT, UH, FIVE TO 10 YEARS NOW.
UH, SMOKY MOUNTAIN HYDRATE, IT'S UH, IT'S PRODUCING AS WELL.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOME NEW BUYERS.
AND THEN, UH, OHIO, UH, THE SOLAR SITES ARE NOT PRODUCING YET.
THEY'RE STILL BEING BUILT, SO, SO, UM, WOULD WE LOSE ANY BARGAINING POWER BY PURCHASING ONLY ONE YEAR VERSUS A THREE OR FOUR YEAR SPREAD? UH, NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, BUYING YEAH.
REALLY THERE'S NO, UH, NO ADVANTAGE.
NOBODY GIVES YOU ANY DISCOUNTS FOR BUYING FOUR YEARS VERSUS JUST ONE YEAR ANYMORE.
BUT WOULD THERE BE A PRICE THAT YOU SAY, WE'VE GOTTA TAKE THAT INSTEAD OF GOING, TRYING TO, UM, LEVERAGE THESE PPAS WITH THE, THE RENEWABLES? UH, BECAUSE THIS, YEAH, THE SEVEN BY 24, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE IN, AT, UH, UH, $45 RANGE OR SO.
UM, BUT THESE, UH, PPAS ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, IN THE, THE $50 RANGE HERE.
UM, BUT YOU TAKE 25% OFF THAT AND YOU GET A FIXED PRICE FOR 20 YEARS AND YOU GET GREEN POWER.
SO I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T SEE ANY SCENARIO WHERE THE FIND A BLOCK WOULD BE A BETTER DEAL THAN FIND THE, UM, RENEWABLE POWER.
SO THE IDEA FOR, THE IDEA FOR US, THE REASON WHY THIS WAS COMING BEFORE US IS, IS BECAUSE, UM, IF WE PASS THIS RESOLUTION, WE GET OUR STAFF IN A POSITION WHERE WHEN THEY NEED IT, THEY COULD DO IT VERSUS HAVING TO HAVE IT.
'CAUSE WE SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS AND THEN THEY CAME BACK AND WE HAD TO APPROVE THINGS AND STUFF.
SO IT'S JUST KIND OF, IT'S RIGHT.
THE IDEA TO PUT US, IT GETS US IN A POSITION, JUST LIKE THE MARKET FLUCTUATES.
WE, WE LIKE TO PURCHASE SOMETIME IN THE SHOULDER MONTHS SPRING AND THE FALL BECAUSE THE MARKET IS NOT AS BAD.
SO WE JUST WANNA BE SET UP SO THAT WHEN WE DO SEE THE MARKET AT THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY, WE CAN, WE CAN PURCHASE.
'CAUSE WE WATCHED IT STEADILY CLIMB LAST YEAR WHILE WE WAITED TO TAKE ACTION.
SO WHEN YOU SAID SEPTEMBER 13TH, THE GRANT APPLICATION IS DUE? YES.
ARE Y'ALL GONNA HAVE IT DONE? YEAH,
WE'VE BEEN SCRAMBLING OVER THE LAST, UH, THREE OR FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN I'VE BET.
SO, SO YOU FEEL THAT IF, IF THESE PPAS ARE DELAYED, THAT THE 5.5 MEGAWATTS WILL, THE PRICE WILL BE STABLE.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT HAVING A BIG, BIG, UH, CHANGE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO COST.
IF WE HAVE TO BUY THE 5.5, THE 2026 VERSION, YOU NEEDED TO GO BACK ANOTHER YEAR.
JOE, YOU WOULDN'T OFFER SOMETHING.
I, THE, THE PPAS ARE GOOD FOR THE, THE RENEWABLES, BUT I STILL, I, I THINK IN MY OPINION, WE'VE GOTTA SEE WHAT THE MARKET PREDICTS FOR THE THE 26 TO 20 A.
BECAUSE THERE'S A RISK IN THESE PPAS.
WHEN WILL YOU KNOW, MIKE, ABOUT THESE PPAS BEING A GO? THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
WHAT IF THE SOLAR OHIO SITES AREN'T BUILT
[00:30:01]
I GUESS.UH, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE FOR US TO HEAR ABOUT THE GRANT.
YEAH, I THINK THEY HAD A PRETTY TIGHT TIMELINE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I TRUST THAT TIMELINE OR NOT.
I, I MEAN, THE OTHER OPTION YOU COULD DO, BECAUSE THESE ARE LIKE COMMODITIES OF SEVEN BY 24, EVERYBODY'S BUYING AND SELLING.
SO IF WE SAID, OKAY, WELL THE MARKET JUST DROPPED $10, YOU KNOW, FOR 25 AND 28, LET'S LOCK IN OUR 5.5.
THEN LATER ON WE SAY, OH YEAH, WE GOT THE SOLARS COMING ON.
SO WE COULD JUST ACTUALLY TURN AROUND AND RESELL THAT, UH, 5.5 IF WE WANTED TO.
SO IT'S NOT, UH, AT THE END OF THE WORLD TO HAVE THAT IN YOUR PORTFOLIO.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION FOR THE GRANT WAS THE 13TH.
IS THERE A DEADLINE THAT YOU EXPECT TO HAVE THEY RELEASED? HAS U S D A ANNOUNCED WHEN THEY WILL RELEASE WHO, UH, I THINK THEY WERE SAYING BY THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT I WAS GONNA SAY PROBABLY LIKE JANUARY BEFORE YOU ARE ABLE TO YEAH, RIGHT.
SO I, FOR ME, I'M GONNA SEE WHAT THE PRICES COME IN.
IT IS GONNA BE A RISK DECISION HERE IF WE PURCHASE ALL THE WAY 28, IF THEY'RE GOOD PRICES.
AND IF THEY'RE IN THE FORTIES, I, I WOULD'VE TO SEE THAT THE, I WOULD BET ON, ON PURCHASING ALL THE 28.
AND WE WORK ABOUT SELL 'EM IF WE GET THE OTHERS, BUT I, I, I DON'T KNOW YET.
I'VE GOTTA, AND WE'VE GOTTA SEE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MARKET IS TODAY AND WHERE IT'LL BE ONCE WE GET APPROVAL TO GO OUT AND LOOK.
YEAH, AS AMBER SAID, WE STARTED THIS WHOLE EDUCATING US THAT, UH, LAST YEAR SINCE BEEN, SINCE SHE'S BEEN ON COUNCIL.
IT WAS LIKE, EVEN IN THOSE MONTHS WE HEARD SOMETHING AND WE HEARD SOMETHING A COUPLE MINUTES, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MONTHS LATER.
AND THEN, YEAH, AND IT'S JUST STARTED GOING UP BEFORE.
THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT SOMEBODY WAS PROACTIVE ABOUT SAYING, LET'S PUT THE, LET'S PUT SOME, LET, LET'S PUT OUR STAFF IN A POSITION WHERE STRIKE WHILE THEY AREN'T HOT IF WE CAN.
SO JUST THINKING THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST, UH, THE BEST SETUP THE TOWN COULD POSSIBLY SET IN THIS ROOM IN, WHEN IT COMES TO ENERGY THAT I'VE EVER SEEN EVEN BEFORE MY MR. WALKS KNOWS A LOT ABOUT.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO SHARE WITH US OR, YEAH.
WELL, UM, SO YEAH, SO THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT YOUR PORTFOLIO THEN WOULD LOOK LIKE LONG TERM.
SO YOU GOT UP TO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE YELLOW IS YOUR EXISTING, ALL THOSE PROJECTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
AND THEN, UH, THE WHITE WOULD BE THAT 5.5 MEGAWATTS, SEVEN BY 24 AND 25.
AND THEN, UH, IF WE GOT THOSE THREE, UH, PPAS WOULD BE THE LITTLE CHECKERBOARDS THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT TOP, UM, THERE'S THAT 10%, 10, APPROXIMATELY 10% CUSHION THAT WE LIKE TO LEAVE, UH, FOR THE MARKET THERE.
AND THEN, YEAH, SO THIS IS, WE TALKED ABOUT THE MARKET AND LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED.
SO BASICALLY, UM, REALLY, UH, EVER SINCE, YOU KNOW, SINCE BACK IN 2000 NATURAL GAS FIRED GENERATION'S BEEN SET IN THE MARKET, YOU KNOW, THAT'S USUALLY WHAT PEOPLE CAN OPERATE BACK AND FORTH.
SO EACH DAY, ACTUALLY THE COST OF, UH, NATURAL GAS PRICES CHANGE AS WELL.
SO EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, IT COSTS A DIFFERENT, UH, AMOUNT TO, TO BUY GAS FOR FREMONT AND GENERATE.
SO, UM, SO BACK IN THE TWO THOUSANDS, AND YOU'D SEE RED IS GAS AND UH, BLUE IS POWER COST.
UH, WE WERE GETTING ALL OUR GAS BACK FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS GONNA RUN OUT.
SO GAS PRICES JUST KEPT GOING UP.
AND AT POWER PRICES, UH, FOLLOWED.
WE GOT TO THIS 2008 WHEN EVERYTHING WAS, THE ECONOMY WAS BOOMING, GASOLINE, THAT'S WHEN WE FIRST SAW $4, UH, GASOLINE.
THEN WE HAD TO HIT THE RECESSION.
SO AT THAT TIME, THE DEMAND FOR ALL THE OIL, GAS, ELECTRICITY ALL DROPPED OFF.
SO PRICES, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY, UH, DROPPED.
AND THEN WE STARTED FINDING ALL THE SHALE GAS.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE STARTED USING MORE NATURAL GAS, WE KEPT FINDING, UH, MORE THAN THAT.
AND SO AS SUPPLY EXCEEDED DEMAND FOR, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 10 YEARS, NATURAL GAS PRICES JUST KEPT FALLING AND, UH, POWER PRICES FELL AND THEY WERE PRETTY, UH, STEADY, YOU KNOW, SO WE COULD COME TO YOU AND SAY, YOU KNOW, POWER'S $45 COME TO YOU SIX MONTHS LATER AND SAY, POWER'S STILL $45.
IT WAS NICE, NICE TIMES THERE.
THEN WE HIT THE FIRST THING, YOU KNOW, COMING OUTTA COVID, UH, A LOT OF THE COAL MINES, UH, COAL PLANTS SHUT DOWN.
AND WE HAD A HOT SUMMER, SO WE BURNED A LOT OF NATURAL GAS.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH COAL ON THE GENERATION AS WE DID.
SO GAS PRICES FIRST STARTED COMING UP, BROUGHT POWER PRICES UP, THEN WE HAD THE RUSSIAN UKRAINE WAR.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD OUR SECOND WAVE OF INCREASING PRICES.
AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD THAT WARMEST, UH, WINTER, THIS PAST WINTER GOING INTO THE WINTER, EVERYBODY WAS PRETTY SCARED ABOUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH NATURAL GAS IN STORAGE.
YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY IN AMERICA, BUT EUROPE.
SO EUROPE WAS, YOU KNOW, IMPORTING AS MUCH GAS AS WE COULD EXPORT.
AND SO PRICES JUST AS YOU MENTIONED, KEPT GOING UP.
'CAUSE WE GOT CLOSER TO WINTER, EVERYBODY GOT MORE NERVOUS, AND THEN YOU FINALLY, WE MADE IT THROUGH THE WINTER, UH, WITH MORE GAS IN STORAGE THAN WE EXPECTED.
BUT YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN'T GONE BACK TO WHERE WE ARE.
EVERYBODY'S STILL NOW LOOKING AT THE NEXT WINTER.
YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS UPCOMING WINTER, EVERYBODY THINKS WE'RE PRETTY GOOD, BUT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WINTER OF 24, 25,
[00:35:01]
NOT ONLY IN AMERICA, BUT EUROPE, YOU KNOW, THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE RUSSIAN GAS TO FALL BACK ON.SO THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, IMPORTING AS MUCH.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AMERICA IS LIMITED ON HOW MUCH GAS WE CAN EXPORT.
SO, UM, IF THEY HAVE A COLD WINTER, THEN THEY'LL BE SHORT GOING IN 24, 25.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE'RE ON THE, UH, SLIGHT DOWNWARD TREND HERE, UH, AS WE GET CLOSER TO, UH, 2024 AND 25.
UM, THE LAST PART IS THEN YOUR DELIVERY COSTS AS YOU, UH, WE'RE ASKING ABOUT.
SO, UM, ALLEGHENY POWER AND FIRMWARE ARE, ARE PART OF THE P G M GRID.
SO THAT'S STOOD FOR PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY, MARYLAND.
SO THOSE UTILITIES WENT TOGETHER AND DISPATCHED ALL THEIR POWER PLANTS, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UH, ECONOMICS.
NOW THAT P G M GRID GOES ALL THE WAY OVER TO CHICAGO AND INTO KENTUCKY THERE.
SO BASICALLY ANYWHERE YOU BUY YOUR POWER IN THAT AREA, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSION.
UH, PRAIRIE STATE DE HYDROS, WE HAVE TO PAY A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA LOSSES, YOU KNOW, TO GET IT, UH, UM, INTO P G M, BUT STILL, UH, ONLY ONE TRANSMISSION RATE.
AND OUR RATE THAT WE PAY IS ALLEGHENY POWERS, UH, TRANSMISSION COST.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOK AT OUR POWER BILL, BASICALLY IT'S MADE UP OF THREE DIFFERENT, UM, PARTS.
THE ENERGY IS ALL THOSE RESOURCES THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
UM, AND THEN TRANSMISSION IS, IS PAINTING ALLEGHENY TO USE THEIR LINES TO DELIVER TO THE TOWN.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, P G M HAS A BASICALLY PAYS GENERATORS TO BE ON CALL, MAKE SURE WHEN WE GET TO DECEMBER 24TH THAT THERE'S ENOUGH GENERATION TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, SO THEY PAY THE GENERATORS AND THEY CHARGE TO, UH, THAT, THAT TO LOAD.
SO THAT MAKES ABOUT, UH, 5% OF OUR, UH, POWER COSTS THERE.
AND SO WHILE I WAS HERE, ONE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS, UH, WE CALL IT A POOL AGREEMENT.
SO FRONT ROW JOINED, UH, AMP BACK IN 2008, AND A LOT OF OUR OTHER MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, JOINED, UH, P G M AT, AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE WROTE THIS AGREEMENT SAYS, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE OF ALL THESE TRANSMISSION DISPATCH, YOU KNOW, SHORT TERM, UH, POWER FOR YOU, AND THEN WHEN, WHEN THE BILL COMES, YOU'RE GONNA PAY IT.
UH, THAT WAS WRITTEN IN 2008 FOR MOST OF OUR MEMBERS.
SO, UH, WE DECIDED IT'S A GOOD TIME TO SORT OF UPDATE THAT.
UM, I CONSIDERED LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL MY KIDS ARE ON MY CELL PHONE PLAYING.
WE HAD DECIDED HOW TO SPLIT THE COST UP, UH, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS AGO.
AND NOW WE'VE GOT ALL THESE NEW DIFFERENT COSTS COMING ON OUR BILL, SO IT'S A GOOD TIME TO MEET AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPLIT OUR COST UP AGAIN.
AND ALSO THEN WHAT IT DOES IS EITHER I GOT THE DIRECTOR OF ENERGY SERVICES, IT COULD BE THE TOWN MANAGER, BUT THAT POOL AGREEMENT GIVES, UH, 'EM AUTHORITY.
SO IF AMP SAYS, WELL, PRAIRIE STATE'S GOTTA TAKE AN OUTAGE NEXT WEEK, YOU'RE GONNA BE SHORT, YOU KNOW, ONE MEGAWATT, UH, YOU WANT US TO GO OUT AND BUY THAT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BE ON THE MARKET FOR THAT WEEK.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE RESOLUTION AND EVERYTHING.
SO THIS, UH, POOL AGREEMENT THEN GIVES THAT AUTHORITY TO, UH, UH, SOMEBODY IN TOWN TO MAKE THOSE SHORT-TERM DECISIONS.
WHAT'S F T R PLUS YOU? WHAT'S F T R? OKAY, SO FTRS IS, UM, ANOTHER WAY TO HEDGE.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THOSE, UH, DELIVERY COSTS, YOU KNOW, FOR PRAIRIE STATE, GETTING IT TO FRONT ROWS OFF, THAT'S CALLED A FINANCIAL TRANSMISSION, RIGHT? SO WE CAN GO OUT AND BUY THOSE AND THAT LOCKS IN THAT COST OF THAT, UH, DELIVERY.
SO, UM, ONCE AGAIN, YOU GUYS ARE AMP BUYING THAT ON FRONT ROWS BEHALF.
SO THIS GIVES THE, UM, AUTHORITY TO SOMEBODY TO MAKE THE, UH, MAKE THE CALL THEN, OKAY.
THESE ARE GONNA BE SMALL, UM, DEALS.
SO, SO THAT PROGRAM'S GONNA COME OUT HERE IN THE FALL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP.
THE BIG THING ABOUT THAT IS IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE YOUR COST
IT'S JUST, UM, UH, SORT OF PUTTING THOSE IN, IN WRITING AGAIN.
YEAH, BECAUSE MIKE, WE REALLY ALREADY OPERATE THAT WAY, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND SO WE PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER HERE.
WE'VE GOT YOUR ENERGY, UM, YOUR TRANSMISSION, AND THEN THE TOP IS THE INSTALL CAPACITY COSTS.
SO OVERALL YOUR COSTS ARE ABOUT EIGHT UH, CENTS OR $80 A MEGAWATT HOUR, UM, THIS YEAR.
YEAH, WE, UH, WHEN WE BUDGETED FREMONT NATURAL GAS PRICES WAS A LITTLE HIGHER.
SO, UM, OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR WAS $81.
WE'VE BEEN COMING IN A LITTLE BIT BELOW BUDGET, SO WE SHOULD COME BACK IN THAT $78 RANGE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE GOING OUT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LITTLE CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE THERE, BUT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, OVERALL, UH, TALENTS, POWER SUPPLY SHOULD STAY IN THAT $80 RANGE FOR, UH, A NUMBER OF YEARS GOING FORWARD THERE.
SO THAT MAKES UP, YOU KNOW, ABOUT $15 MILLION A YEAR IN, UH, POWER COST, UH, PURCHASES FROM AMP.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, UM, A CUSTOMER IN FRONT ROW USES ABOUT A THOUSAND KILOWATT HOURS PER MONTH, YOU KNOW, PAYS ABOUT 10.70 CENTS, UH, PER KILOWATT HOUR, WHICH IS ACTUALLY, UM, ONE OF THE LOWEST RATES IN AMP.
YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR MEMBERS ARE CHARGING ABOUT 13 TO 14 CENTS A KILOWATT HOUR, AND THE OTHER SIDE IS YOUR MARGIN, YOU KNOW, SO THE TWO, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 8 CENTS AND THE 10.7 BASICALLY RUNS THE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT.
[00:40:01]
OUR MEMBERS ALSO HAVE ABOUT A 4 CENT COST TO RUN THEIR ELECTRIC PHARMACY.YOU GUYS ARE ON A, A TIGHT BUDGET THERE.
A K A CITIZENS WHO ARE WATCHING AT HOME.
NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE ONE OF THE LOWEST REAL ESTATE TAXES, BUT ELECTRIC TOO.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GETTING READY TO SAY, I THINK THERE'S PRESS IN THE ROOM.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT'S REPORTED.
PRETTY IMPRESSIVE TO HAVE THE, LIKE JOE SAID, RENEWABLE, UH, PORTFOLIO AND, UH, LOW RATES THERE.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO PUT, PUT THOSE LAST COUPLE PIECES IN THERE.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? SURE.
IT WAS LIKE, OH, OKAY, LET'S DO, YEAH, THANKS.
BUT I'M GONNA ASK IT BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'D BE THE MAN TO ASK THESE LOCALITIES AND PLACES THAT ARE BRINGING IN DATA CENTERS, I'M ASSUMING SOME OF THE PLACES YOU ALL SERVE HAVE DATA CENTERS, SMALL ONES.
IT TAKES, THEY USE A LOT OF POWER.
SO MOST OF OUR MEMBERS ARE YOU OKAY.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK YOU IS IF, IF WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OURS WILL BE WAY DIFFERENT, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THE DATA CENTER BASICALLY PRETTY MUCH RUNS 24 HOURS A DAY.
ANCHOR YOUR TAIL WHEN, UH, PRICES ARE UP OR IT LOADS UP.
BUT, SO THAT WOULD JUST PUSH UP THIS BLUE, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU BOUGHT A 10 MEGAWATT DATA CENTER, THE TOP WOULD STILL LOOK THE SAME.
YOU WOULD JUST HAVE A, ANOTHER 10 MEGAWATTS AT THE BOTTOM FOR SOLID.
SO ULTIMATELY IT WOULD RAISE YOUR COST THOUGH, RIGHT? 'CAUSE IT'S GOING ALONG ALL THE TIME RUNNING 24 7.
WELL, IT SHOULD OVERALL LOWER YOUR COST BECAUSE YOU'RE, UH, YOU GOT MORE MEGAWATT HOURS, MORE ENERGY TO SPREAD YOUR FIXED COST OVER.
I'M NOT, YEAH, NOT PROMOTING DATA CENTERS.
I JUST WAS LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN ALWAYS, WHENEVER ANYBODY BRINGS THAT UP, THEY TALK ABOUT BROWNOUTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I JUST WAS CURIOUS SINCE YOU ALL DEAL WITH CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE THAT, BUT YOU'RE SAYING ANYBODY THAT ANY OF YOUR CUSTOMERS WOULD'VE LIKE SMALL, YEAH, RIGHT? YEAH.
THEY DON'T WANT 10.70 CENT POWER AND THEY WANT LIKE 4 CENT POWER.
SO
UH, THANKS FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO REMIND, UH, COUNSEL THAT WE ARE MEMBERS OF
IT'S MADE UP OF ABOUT 130 MUNICIPALITIES JUST LIKE US TRYING TO PROVIDE POWER TO OUR CITIZENS.
THEY PROVIDE US THE MECHANISM TO HAVE THESE GENERATION ASSETS AND, AND GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY OF DOING MARKET PURCHASES WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES.
YEAH, SO I GUESS JUST BEFORE I LEAVE, YEAH.
SO AS NON-PROFIT BASICALLY, SO WE CHARGE A SERVICE FEE ON TOP OF WHAT WE BUY.
SO OUR JOB IS JUST TO GET YOU THE LOWEST POWER PRICE.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DOING IT,
ALRIGHT, THANKS FOR INPUT, MIKE.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, SO ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, IF COUNSEL'S GO WITH THAT, WE'LL PUT THIS RESOLUTION ON THE SEPTEMBER 25TH AGENDA, UM, TO TAKE ACTION ON WHETHER OR NOT COUNSEL'S GOOD WITH BASICALLY KIND.
THE RESOLUTION WOULD BE FOR A PRICE NOT TO EXCEED $59 A MEGAWATT FOR THE YEARS 25 THROUGH 28.
AND I DEFINITELY WANNA LOOK AT ALL THE WAY TO 28 TO SEE WHAT THE PRICES ARE TO DEVELOP, TO DETERMINE WHAT OUR RISK WOULD BE.
WAS, UM, NOT PURCHASING THOSE FUTURE YEARS WITH THE PPAS.
I THINK AMBER, UH, WHAT SHE WAS TRYING TO SAY BEFORE IS THAT, THAT WE'RE BLESSED WITH YOU AT THE HELM BECAUSE REALLY ENERGY IS YOUR, IS YOUR BABY.
YEAH, I KNOW, BUT I'M, I'M COUNTING BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU AND ALL YOUR EXPERIENCE.
UM, WE DID NOT LIKE, I FEEL CONFIDENT, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA MAKE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.
SO, ALRIGHT, NEXT UP ARE ALL OF OUR CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE 25TH.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE PROCLAMATION, PUBLIC POWER WEEK.
CARRIE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT OR IF WE JUST WANT TO, UM, DO YOU, DO YOU WANT TO STAY
AND SO FOR THOSE THAT ARE NEW ON COUNCIL SINCE LAST YEAR, WHICH IS QUITE A BIT, UM, EACH, UH, YEAR WE RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE PUBLIC POWER WEEK AND IT'S THE FIRST FULL WEEK OF OCTOBER.
UM, AND UM, I MEAN YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE SUMMARY IS, BUT,
[00:45:01]
UH, I FEEL LIKE TONIGHT WAS A GREAT LIKE, OPPORTUNITY IF ANYBODY WATCHES THIS MEETING CITIZENS.I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU ALL, BUT YOU KNOW, I LEARNED SOMETHING AGAIN TONIGHT AND I FELT LIKE I'D HAD TO LEARN A LOT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO, UM, SO IF, IF, UH, COUNSEL DOESN'T HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS, WE'LL ADD THAT TO, UM, THE SEPTEMBER 25TH, UH, MEETING.
AND THAT WOULD BE FOR OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH SEVENTH, RIGHT? YES.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? OKAY.
UM, SO NEXT UP WOULD BE ITEM FOUR B, WHICH IS THE, UM, BELIEVE THAT'S MICHELLE OR MAYBE VJ.
MICHELLE, SORRY I DIDN'T SEE YOU USUALLY OVER HERE.
SO THIS IS THE, UH, CONTRACT FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE INFLUENCE PUMPS FOR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN, RIGHT, MS. MICHELLE? HELLO? SO, UM, YES,
WE HELD A BID OPENING ON AUGUST 25TH AND RECEIVED THREE RESPONSES.
UM, WE POSTED, UM, THE BID ON EVA COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA'S ONLINE PROCUREMENT WEBSITE AND RECEIVED THREE RESPONSES.
AND JOHNSTON CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WAS THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER.
THE INFLUENCE PUMPS WERE INSTALLED IN THE 1970S AND REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND.
THE TOWN ORDERED THE ACTUAL PUMPS IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, WHICH WE NOW HAVE.
THEY'VE BEEN DELIVERED AND ARE READY TO BE INSTALLED.
THESE PUMPS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UH, THE TOWN HAS SET ASIDE FUNDS AND THE AMOUNT OF $481,781 AND 34 CENTS, UH, ON THE PURCHASE ORDER FOR THE INFLUENCE PUMP PROJECT.
AND, UM, STAFF RECOMMENDS REALLOCATING AND USING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM THE I I ABATEMENT PROJECT, GET THE DIFFERENCE.
SO THESE CHANGES ARE GONNA BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FY 24 BUDGET? YES.
THAT WILL BE REQUESTED TO APPROVE.
COUNSELORS, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. CAMPBELL ABOUT THIS? I THINK IT'S PRETTY CUT AND DRY.
WE GOT OUR MONEY'S WORTH OUT OF THINK SOME DAYS.
I, I, I'M, I WON'T EVEN SAY THAT.
I BET THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THEY USED TO.
SO HOPEFULLY THESE, IF THESE LAST ANOTHER 53 YEARS, WE'LL BE GETTING OUR MONEY'S WORTH AGAIN.
ONE COULD ONLY THAT'S TAKEN PLACE IN THOSE 50 YEARS.
SO, ALRIGHT, UM, THAT WAS IT FOR YOU.
SO MS. MCINTOSH NEXT IS GONNA BE THE AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR BENEFITS CONSULTING SERVICES? NO, NO.
UM, I'M GONNA, I GUESS FOLLOW MICHELLE'S LEADER.
I DON'T HAVE TO, UM, YOU WANT ME TO READ FROM THE AGENDA WHAT WE HAVE? MY, MY GOAL HERE IS JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN IDEA OF WHAT OUR GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS IN DOING THIS BENEFIT CONSULTING SERVICES CONTRACT.
UM, SO WE DID A PUBLIC PROPOSAL OPENING AND RECEIVED SIX PROPOSALS.
UM, WE INTERVIEWED THREE OF THE SIX OFFERS.
TOWN COUNCIL HAS REQUESTED TO REVIEW AND ISSUE THE AWARD TO PIERCE GROUP BENEFITS OF HOLLY SPRINGS, NORTH CAROLINA AND THE AMOUNT OF 10,000 PER YEAR.
THIS REQUEST IS COMING BEFORE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL BECAUSE THE AMOUNT MAY EXCEED 25,000 WHEN MULTIPLE YEAR RENEWALS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
UM, THERE'S, IT'S ALREADY BUDGETED UNDER HUMAN RESOURCES BUDGET FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
UM, THE WHOLE GOAL FOR THIS FOR ME WAS, UM, TO NOT ONLY, UM, LOOK AT THE HEALTH INSURANCE ASPECT OF CONSULTING, BUT TO HAVE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ALL BENEFITS.
UM, HEALTH INSURANCE IS DEFINITELY THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE WITH THIS.
UM, IT OBVIOUSLY REPRESENTS A HUGE CHUNK OF OUR BUDGET AND, UM, WE JUST STRUGGLE EVERY YEAR TO TRY TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE TO EMPLOYEES THAT BOTH THEY CAN AFFORD AND WE CAN AFFORD.
BUT BEYOND THE HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, I WANTED HELP TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE TOTAL BENEFITS STRATEGY.
UM, WHAT AN OVERALL STRATEGY THAT CAN HELP US TO RETRACT AND
[00:50:01]
RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES.UM, YOU KNOW, ASIDE FROM THE HEALTH INSURANCE AND THE VS RETIREMENT, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO IN THAT REALM? UM, TRADITIONALLY PEOPLE CAME TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS, BECAUSE OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE AND THE V R S, BUT THAT'S CHANGING.
AND, UM, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE JUST HAVE A DIVERSE WORKFORCE.
UM, A BIG EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR WORKFORCE.
YOU KNOW, UM, SOME PEOPLE REALLY VALUE WHAT I CONSIDER THE TRADITIONAL BENEFITS, YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE, YOUR LIFE INSURANCE, YOUR DISABILITY COVERAGES.
BUT, UM, OTHER EMPLOYEES HAVE DIFFERENT VALUES AND THAT MAY INCLUDE THINGS LIKE PET INSURANCE OR EVEN, UM, GYM MEMBERSHIPS, STUDENT LOAN ASSISTANCE, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THESE THINGS.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE GONNA INCORPORATE THESE THINGS, BUT TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THEM, UM, AND JUST SEE WHAT OTHER THINGS WE CAN INCORPORATE FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE BENEFIT OFFERING.
UM, WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING ABOUT THE PEERS GROUP IS THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ASPECT.
THAT'S WHAT REALLY GOT US EXCITED.
THEY ARE VERY HANDS-ON IN THIS.
UM, THEY PLAY A VERY ACTIVE ROLE.
THEY COME IN PERSON FOR THE OPEN ENROLLMENT AND HEALTHCARE AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A DEDICATED CALL CENTER JUST FOR EMPLOYEES THAT THEY CAN CALL AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT BENEFITS AND THEY CAN GET HELP WITH, UM, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE CLAIMS ASSISTANCE AND THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT THEY JUST HAVE SO MANY RESOURCES FOR HR AND FOR THE EMPLOYEES, LIKE TO EDUCATE OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, MY FAVORITE THING, LIKE THE ONLY THING I WANTED OUTTA THIS WHOLE THING WAS A BENEFITS BOOKLET.
THAT WAS LIKE MY FAVORITE THING.
I JUST WANT A BOOKLET THAT'S COMPREHENSIVE WITH ALL OF OUR BENEFITS IN IT THAT EMPLOYEES CAN BE ABLE TO SEE AND GET THAT WHOLE PICTURE.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE EVER HAD.
WE GOT THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU WHEN WE GOT A, WE GOT A BOOKLET AT WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS NICE.
AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, THAT, THAT I'M SAVING BECAUSE SIX MONTHS FROM NOW, IF I NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING, I CAN FLIP THROUGH IT.
BUT ON TOP OF THAT, THEY ALSO CREATE WHAT THEY CALL A MICROSITE FOR THE TOWN.
UM, IT'S LIKE OUR OWN LITTLE BENEFITS WEBSITE AND MOBILE APP WHERE EMPLOYEES CAN GO ON AND IT'S THERE NOT ONLY FOR LIKE OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR THEM TO GO ON AND DO THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PROCESS, BUT IT'S THERE YEAR ROUND FOR THEM TO HAVE THAT RESOURCE TO GO ON AND, AND CLICK ON ANY OF THE BENEFITS THAT THEY WANT, READ MORE ABOUT IT, EDUCATE THEMSELVES AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA HELP IMPROVE NOT ONLY HRS LIFE AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS OF IT, BUT JUST THE OVERALL EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE AND
LAURA, WHO BEEN THAT BEFORE? WHAT, WHAT GROUP DID WE HAVE THAT WAS OUT THERE SHOPPING FOR OUR BENEFITS OR GETTING US GALLAGHER? GALLAGHER.
BECAUSE THAT WAS DURING MY TIME ON COUNCIL.
I FEEL LIKE THEY, I KNOW THEY CAME, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE NEWLY HIRED THEN, BUT I REMEMBER 'CAUSE THERE WAS THIS IDEA OF A POOL AND THEN IT DIDN'T WORK OUT.
YOU KNOW, YOU, I KNOW YOU REMEMBER THAT STORY.
WHAT, WHAT DOES THE TOWN COUNCIL SUPPORT THE THEY ARE PROVIDING? I SEE THAT ON THE LIST OF SERVICES.
WHAT IS THAT? JUST WHAT SHE WAS SAYING FOR THEM TO COME AND ACTUALLY SPEAK TO COUNSEL.
UM, IF WE DO LOOK, UM, TO, TO SHOW YOU DATA ANALYTICS OR IF WE WANT TO CHANGE CARRIERS TO, TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU AND GIVE YOU THE RATIONALES THAT YOU APPLY AND ALL THAT.
AND DO THEY DO EMPLOYEE, YOU TALKED ABOUT 'EM THAT YOU COULD CALL AND TALK ABOUT YOUR BENEFITS, BUT DO THEY HAVE THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OF, YOU KNOW, THAT SOME GROUPS HAVE WHERE YOU HAVE LIKE 24 HOUR COUNSELING? DO THEY DO THAT TOO? YEAH, SO WE ACTUALLY CURRENTLY HAVE THAT THROUGH T L C, WHICH IS THE LOCAL CHOICE, WHICH IS WHO ADMINISTERS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD FOR US, ADMINISTERS THAT WHOLE THING.
THEY HAVE AN E A P, BUT THIS GROUP ALSO, UM, WOULD BE A HUGE BENEFIT FOR US WITH WELLNESS INITIATIVES.
WE STARTED A WELLNESS COMMITTEE TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OURSELVES FOR, WE'VE HAD TWO HEALTH FAIR, HEALTH FAIR THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHICH WE'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
BUT BEYOND THAT, WE NEED EXTRA HELP, EXTRA PUSH ON, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT IDEAS AND THINGS YOU CAN DO.
AND IT, THAT COMES BIG PART INTO PLAY WITH SAVING MONEY ON HEALTH INSURANCE.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROMOTE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY LIVING, PREVENTATIVE, PREVENTATIVE HEALTHCARE STUFF.
SO THAT'S THE OTHER NICE THING ABOUT THE MICRO SITE AND THE MOBILE APP AND THE WEB BROWSER FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A CRISIS OR A HEALTH EMERGENCY, THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO HAVE TO DO IS TRY TO DIG THROUGH PAPERWORK TO FIND OUT YOUR BENEFITS.
I KNOW, I MEAN, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
ANYBODY QUESTION? I WAS JUST GONNA ASK IN ON THE SCORECARD TABULATIONS, WHO PROVIDED THE THREE EVALUATIONS FOR
[00:55:02]
THREE? OH, REEVALUATIONS THE THREE THAT WERE ON THE COMMITTEE.WHICH IS ON THE PAGE WHERE OUR SIGNATURES ARE.
UM, IT WAS THOSE THREE COMMITTEE NUMBERS.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT? OKAY.
IF, NO, SO WE'LL BE PUTTING THAT ON THE CONSENT AND AGENDA FOR THE 25TH.
THIS IS THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR, 20, 24, 25.
ARE WE THERE ALREADY? I TOLD ME I LOOKED AT THIS FOR THE AGENDA.
I THOUGHT, GOSH, IT'S NOT TIME YET.
STARTED, WE JUST APPROVED THE OTHER ONE.
BUT I KNOW IT'S A CONSTANT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO THIS IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET CALENDAR.
BRING THIS BEFORE COUNCIL, JUST TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW OUR PLAN.
UH, IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO PRIOR YEARS WHAT WE'VE DONE.
UM, BASICALLY, UH, WE'RE GONNA START WORKING ON IT INTERNALLY WITH THE DEPARTMENTS HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
AND THEN, UH, COME JANUARY WE'RE GONNA COME BEFORE COUNCIL WITH A, UH, LIST OF ITEMS TO, OF MAJOR ITEMS TO REVIEW THAT MAY BE INCORPORATED.
NOT TO SAY THEY WILL OR WON'T BE INCORPORATED, BUT JUST GET YOUR TAKE ON IT, YOU KNOW, SEE HOW THINGS ARE GOING, WHAT NEEDS TO BE OUR PRIORITIES.
UH, AND THEN FEBRUARY WE WOULD, UH, COME BACK WITH TO COUNSEL, UH, WITH THE ACTUAL PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, BALANCED BUDGET, ED
AND, UM, UH, AND THEN REVIEW, UH, THE, UH, THE ACTUAL BUDGET REVENUES AND EXPENSES WITH WITH TOWN COUNCIL.
UH, THE, UH, LATER ON HERE IN MARCH, WE WOULD, UH, HAVE A WORK SESSION AND ALSO DISCUSS, UH, THE ADVERTISEMENT OF THE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE TAX RATES.
UM, I DO HAVE MARCH WRITTEN DOWN HERE.
I WILL SUGGEST THE COUNSEL PUT THE, UH, THE TAXES BACK, ONE LIAISON FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, I'VE NOT MADE MUCH PROGRESS ON THAT.
UH, AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND TRY TO ALLEVIATE ANY KIND OF DELAYS AND LIKE WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR ORDINANCES.
GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO CHANGE OUR ORDINANCES.
I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA, WHAT, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY QUESTION, BUT YOU ALREADY BROUGHT IT UP BECAUSE WE, AT THE LIAISON MEETING WE DISCUSSED, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE COUNT, BECAUSE WE RELY ON THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO SEND OUT OUR TAX BILLS, AND WHEN WE GET THEM SUPER LATE, IT MAKES US LATE.
SO WE BROUGHT THAT UP AT THE LIAISON MEETING.
IT, IT HASN'T, WE HAVE, HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPOR HAS, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN, WE HAVEN'T MOVED FORWARD WITH THAT QUITE YET.
WE HAVEN'T MOVED FORWARD WITH IT.
UM, I SENT THIS, UH, EXACT, UH, PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET CALENDAR OVER TO WARREN COUNTY FOR DISCUSSION MM-HMM.
UM, BUT I STILL DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF FIRM ANSWERS AS TO, UH, WHAT CALENDAR CANNOT BE DONE OR WHEN, UM, WE CAN EXPECT THE TAX FILES WHEN WE'LL NEED TO GET THE, UH, TAX RATES TO WARREN COUNTY.
UH, SO I SUGGEST PUTTING IT BACK ON THE LIAISON MEETING FOR PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT READY FOR THE LIAISON AGENDA, BUT MS. PRESLEY WILL, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE TAKING NOTES, THAT'LL DEFINITELY BE ON THE OCTOBER LIAISON MEETING SO WE CAN, 'CAUSE WE DON'T, 'CAUSE IT'S OCTOBER, THEN WE WOULDN'T MEET AGAIN UNTIL, I THINK IT'S, UH, JANUARY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WAIT TILL THEN TO GET, MAKE A COPY.
WE'RE GONNA BE, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE'S IN APRIL, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK IN THE SAME BOAT.
SO WE BETTER BE PROACTIVE AND SO REACTIVE AND, AND THAT'S THE GOAL.
AND THEN, UM, A LOT OF THIS IS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, COUNSEL HAVING THE INFORMATION FOR THE BUDGET BEFORE WE VOTE ON OUR TAX RATES.
UM, SO THAT'S, UH, A LOT OF THE PREMISE BEHIND IT.
OTHERWISE, I WOULD PREFER TO DELAY THIS A LITTLE BIT SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BETTER INFORMATION.
BUT THE TIMING IS, IS VERY, UH, CRITICAL.
YOU'RE SO GOOD WITH LIMITED INFORMATION THOUGH, BJ.
WE KNOW YOU CAN DO IT
BUT THE, UH, BUT THE, SOME OF THESE TIME THINGS THOUGH AREN'T, AREN'T REALLY NEGOTI.
LIKE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR, OUR BUDGET APPROVED BY MAY.
RIGHT? IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY JUNE 30TH.
WELL, JUNE, BUT I MEAN, WE'VE, WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO IMPROVE IT IN MAY, BUT THE, UH, THE, UM, A LOT OF IT'S BASED ON THE TAX RATES.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WON'T HAVE OUR TAX RATES TO MATCH OUR BUDGET.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE KIND OF WORK BACKWARDS FROM IS, UH, WHEN WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE TAX RATES, UH, UH, OVER THERE, UH, TO THE, UH, COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE FOR THE, UH, UH, FOR THE ASSESSMENTS.
UM, SO WE WORK KIND OF BACKWARDS FROM THERE, BUT ALSO TO ALLOW COUNSEL ENOUGH TIME TO REVIEW THE BUDGET, UM, AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE WANT TO INCLUDE, NOT INCLUDE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO, WE NEED TO CUT.
UM, SO, UH, BUT, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, LAST YEAR WE DID HAVE TO CHANGE THE BUDGET CALENDAR BECAUSE SOME THINGS WERE DELAYED IN GETTING, YOU KNOW, THE CRITICAL INFORMATION.
THE INSURANCE, UH, WAS ONE OF THE CRITICAL PIECES, UH, FOR, UH, FOR OUR BUDGET.
SO, UH, THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, BUT THIS IS, WE LIKE TO GO BY.
I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CALENDAR? NO, IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT, AND WE WILL HAVE THAT TO THE LIAISON
[01:00:01]
AND HOPEFULLY I APPRECIATE THAT.HOPEFULLY BY APRIL 22ND WE'RE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING AND SOUNDS GOOD.
THAT'S ALWAYS THE, THAT'S ALWAYS THE GOAL.
UM, AS CHIEF, UH, THE D M V MATCHING GRANTS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THAT.
UM, SO THIS SHOULD BE FAIRLY SELF EXPLAN, THE SAME ONE WE DO EVERY YEAR.
IT'S THE, UH, TRAFFIC SAFETY AND, UH, ALCOHOL ENFORCEMENT D U I ENFORCEMENT.
UM, I THINK THE, UH, THE EXPECTED, UH, GRANT AMOUNT THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE 2020 $3,905.
AND THEN, UH, THERE'S 13,300 FOR THE, UM, UH, D U I SATURATION PATROLS.
AND THAT JUST, THAT COVERS THE OVERTIME.
UM, MOST OF OUR MATCH COMES OUT OF, UM, THE FUEL, FUEL BUDGET AND, AND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE.
SO, AND SO IT'S A RELATIVELY LIGHT LIFT FOR US, UH, AS FAR AS OUR POCKETBOOK.
SO QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? THAT MIKE COVERS? JUST WHAT OVERTIME FOR THE GUYS? YES.
OVERTIME FOR SPEED ENFORCEMENT AND ALCOHOL ENFORCEMENT? YES, MA'AM.
WHEN WE PUT THEM OUT ON THOSE GRANTS, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THAT THEY'RE REALLY KIND OF, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IF THERE'S A BIG EMERGENCY THEY COULD BREAK OFF AND DO SOMETHING, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE STRICTLY BE DOING THOSE ACTIVITIES WHEN THEY'RE OUT.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR DAY OR IS IT JUST IN GENERAL? QUARTERLY.
SO WE, WE, WE HAVE QUARTERLY REPORTING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
SO WE'VE GOT ACTIVITIES LINED UP.
I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU WHAT THE HELL YEAH, I GOT YOU
I KNOW, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S THE, I THE IDEA IS THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES WHERE THAT THESE THINGS WOULD BE THE OVERTIME FOR THIS.
YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK THEY, THAT CERTAINLY WOULDN'T COVER OVERTIME FOR THE WHOLE HEARING.
IT'S JUST FOR THOSE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES, IT'S, IT'S A SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT DETAIL.
I THINK THEY, THEY REIMBURSED QUARTERLY, RIGHT? BJ? YES, I THINK SO.
I LIKE, I LIKED THE, ALL OF THE, UH, STATISTICS THAT YOU HERE.
UH, SPECIFICALLY THE, UH, LOOKS LIKE WE'VE HAD A, UH, UH, MORE ALCOHOL RELATED CRASHES, UH, THIS YEAR THAN WE'RE ALMOST TO LAST YEAR'S NUMBER.
I, I JUST, UH, I JUST GOT THE INFORMATION TO SEND BACK IN FOR OUR MAD AWARDS FOR A COUPLE OF OUR OFFICERS, UH, REALLY MAKING SOME, MAKING SOME, UH, D U I D U I STOPS.
SO PUTTING ALL THAT STUFF TOGETHER NOW.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE GOING DOWN, UH, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR AWARD IN THE NEXT, UH, NEXT MONTH.
I THINK IT'S IN OCTOBER, SO DOWN TO RICHMOND.
IF NO ONE HAS ANYTHING, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF, THAT'LL BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE 25TH.
THAT'S AT LEAST FIVE ITEMS FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF LAST WEEK WE DIDN'T ADD SOME THINGS TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, HOW MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE WE LOOKING AT FOR THE 22? TWO.
SO WE'LL BE OUT OF THERE BEFORE 1:00 AM DON'T START THAT.
SO THE NEXT ITEM, UM, AND WE ARE NOT TOO FAR BOUND, ONLY 18 MINUTES, I JUST WANNA SAY ABOUT OUR SCHEDULE
SO, UM, SO IT'S NEW BUSINESS AND IT'S REQUESTED VACATION VACATE A PORTION OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE THAT MR. WALTZ IS GONNA SPEAK TO THIS, RIGHT? UH, YES MA'AM.
UM, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH AARON HET, UH, WHO PUT IN THE REQUEST FOR THE VACATION OF THE ALLEY.
UH, AND MR. MR. HET IS ALSO HERE IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL.
UH, BUT HE HAS PUT IN A REQUEST TO VACATE THE ALLEY THAT'S NORTH OF HIS PROPERTY AND ALSO EAST OF HIS PROPERTY IN FRONT OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE.
IT'S, UH, THE TOTAL AREA HE'S REQUESTING TO VACATE IS A LITTLE OVER 15,000 SQUARE FEET.
UM, WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED COMMENTS FROM STAFF AND THEY'RE LISTED IN THE PACKET.
THERE'S A FEW COMMENTS FROM PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL AS ENERGY SERVICES.
UH, I HAVE TWO COMMENTS THAT I WANTED TO ADD TO THE GROUP.
UH, FIRST IS THAT MR. HEIGHT, UH, AND PART OF THE, UH, ALLEY VACATION HE'S REQUESTING NORTH OF HIS PROPERTY, HE HAS A FENCE, A FENCE ENCROACHMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN BECAUSE IS THE, UH, FENCE IS ON THE RIGHT OF WAY ITSELF.
SO HE HAS AN AGREEMENT FOR THAT FENCE ENCROACHMENT.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO MAKE
[01:05:01]
COUNSEL AWARE OF IS THAT THERE'S ALSO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH A PROPERTY OWNER LOCATED AT 1602 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE FOR A PARKING AREA, WHICH IS, UH, CLOSE TO THIS VACATION, UH, REQUEST AS WELL.UM, SO, UM, UH, WE'LL START WITH THERE IF THERE'S ANY, UH, QUESTIONS FOR COUNSEL IN THE, UM, IN OUR PACKET.
THERE'S LIKE THE, THE AERIAL VIEW, I WOULD SAY.
UM, SO ARE WE TALK, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BLUE OR THE TEAL OR WHATEVER YOU'RE SAYING.
IT GIVES YOU THE LINES AROUND THE PROPERTY WITH AN AERIAL.
MUCH EASIER IF THAT MAKES MORE SENSE.
AND JUST WHEN, JUST EVERYBODY, THIS IS JUST FOR EVERYBODY ELSE JUST KNOWLEDGEABLE EVERYWHERE, BUT, SO WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF NORTH ROYAL, THEY THINK DIFFERENTLY, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU GO PAST IT, IT'S UM, SO LIKE PAST WHERE LIST GOES, USED TO BE NOW NORTH WHITE HORSE.
THIS THIS IS ROYAL, YEAH, BECAUSE FRANK'S PROPERTY HERE.
UM, I WAS ON COUNCIL APPARENTLY WHEN A LEASE WAS SIGNED, ALLOWING THE, UM, VACATED ALLEYWAY TO PARK NON VACATED ALLEYWAY ON IMPROVED ALLEYWAY TO BECOME, UM, OFF STREET PARKING IN YOUR TENURES AS BEING THE TOWN MANAGER MULTIPLE TIMES.
HAS THIS EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE, DONE AS A, A LEASE OF AN ALLEYWAY FOR PARKING? UM, I PERSONALLY HAVEN'T SEEN, UH, A LEASE AGREEMENT FOR A PARKING AREA IN, IN THE TOWN RIGHT OF WAY, BUT I, I'D HAVE TO DEFER TO GEORGE ON THAT.
GEORGE, HAVE YOU SEEN HIM THAT BEFORE? A LEASE OF A RIGHT OF WAY? I THAT SEEMS INCONGRUOUS.
I I DO RECALL LEASING PARKING SPOTS MM-HMM.
AND HAD THAT BEEN DONE PRIOR, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
HAD THAT BEEN DONE PRIOR, HAD THE TOWN PARKING SPOTS HAD THE TOWN GIVEN A LEASE, UM, FOR AN UNIMPROVED ALLEYWAY TO BECOME PARKING? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
SO WE DID IT, IT HAPPENED LAST YEAR.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S DOABLE.
I, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU WOULD GO ABOUT THAT.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO VACATE THE PUBLIC'S, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, IT SEEMS THAT THE LEASE WASN'T DONE FOR ANY MONETARY PURPOSES OF THE ALLEYWAY.
UM, BECAUSE IF I RECALL, THE LEASE WAS FOR A DOLLAR.
FOR COUNCIL AND MAYOR'S KNOWLEDGE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
THE SIGNED LEASE IS FOR A DOLLAR.
IS IT IN OUR PACKET? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN YOUR PACKET OR NOT.
SO MY NEXT QUESTION FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE IS GOING TO BE, UM, THE TOWN LEASES PARKING FOR A DOLLAR TO AN UNIMPROVED ALLEYWAY THAT THE TOWN STAFF HAS PROVIDED FEEDBACK THAT WE DO HAVE SERVICES ON.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD A CAR AND A PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL PARKING LOT, UH, A YEAR OR TWO AGO WHERE THERE WAS A, UM, MANHOLE, A SINK THERE WAS IT SUNK AND THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND THE, THE RESIDENTIAL TENANT REACHED OUT TO THE TOWN TO ASK US IF IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR DRAINAGE.
AND THIS WAS BEFORE YOUR TIME, JOE.
AND WE HAD TO DISCUSS IF THERE WAS LIKE ANY LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS OR ANY PUBLIC WORKS WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AS A RESULT OF THIS CAVING IN THAT TOTALED A, A CAR LEGAL UPDATED PRIVATE STEWARD.
IT WAS, IT WAS, THE TOWN WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE AT ALL, BUT PUBLIC WORKS WENT OUT AND THEY DID SOME REPAIRS TO THE MANHOLE FOR I THINK IT WAS THE SECOND TIME IT HAD CAVED IN.
BUT SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE IF WE'RE LEASING PROPERTY AN UNIMPROVED ALLEYWAY SPECIFICALLY, UM, FOR PARKING AND SOMETHING, ANYTHING OCCURS ON THAT IS THE LIABILITY ON THE TOWN.
WELL, SORRY TO GO BACK TO THE ON THE SIDE SPOT.
I DON'T THINK LEASING A PUBLIC WAY IS POSSIBLE.
AND SO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THIS, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT OF INGRESS AND EGRESS MM-HMM.
IN AN AREA WHERE THE PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT.
SO I I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU LEGALLY DO THAT.
MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, WE HAD A DIFFERENT ACTING TOWN MANAGER AT THE TIME, THE ACTING, UH,
[01:10:01]
A TOWN ATTORNEY, I BELIEVE WAS OUR FORMER CONTRACTED TOWN ATTORNEY THAT SIGNED OFF ON THAT.HAVE YOU SEEN THIS LEASE? I, I DON'T THINK I HAVE.
IF YOU COULD TELL ME THE YEAR, IF IT WAS 2022, IT'S NOT IN OUR PACKET.
I EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
I WOULD'VE PREFERRED TO, I APOLOGIZE.
I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THAT IN THE PACKET AND I DID.
AND I'M SORRY, I DON'T THINK THAT, I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR COUNSEL, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE AWARE THAT THIS PROPERTY WAS BEING LEASED.
DID YOU ALL WANT IT SENT TO YOU? I HAVE IT, PLEASE.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT? I HAVE ONLY HEARD THAT IT WAS A FIVE, I BELIEVE A FIVE YEAR LEASE.
IT IS FOR A DOLLAR PER YEAR OR A DOLLAR PER FIVE? I CAN'T, IT WAS A DOLLAR PER YEAR.
I THINK IT'S A DOLLAR PER YEAR.
I KNOW WE'VE DONE THINGS, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN THINGS WHERE, UM, PEOPLE PAY LIKE A DOLLAR TO LITERALLY GET THE PIECE, BUT LIKE, I'M THINKING ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME, MY NEIGHBORS, THERE WAS LIKE A CULVERT AND THEY HAD TO COME IN AND, UM, THE TOWN HAD TO COME IN AND, AND, UH, BASICALLY FIX WHERE THE WATER WAS LIKE ERODING THEIR YARD.
AND TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, THEY HAD TO, UM, BASICALLY HAD TO LIKE BUY A PORTION OF IT SO THAT THEY COULD COME IN AND DO IT.
AND SO I THINK IN THOSE CASES, BUT I THINK, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
AT LEAST TOWN PROPERTY IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ANIMAL THAN YEAH.
THAN ATTEMPTING TO LEASE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
SO COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS, I'M JUST ASKING FOR YOU.
UM, I, I KNOW I, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S PART OF OUR CONVERSATION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T THE FIRST ALLEY VACATION THAT'S POPPED UP BEFORE THIS COUNCIL.
UM, WE'VE BEEN DEFERRING THEM TO A VIEWING COMMITTEE, WHICH I'M, I'M NOT IMPARTIAL TO.
I THINK IT HELPS TO HAVE AN UNBIASED, EXPERIENCED, UM, THIRD PARTY COME IN AND MAKE A SYNOPSIS.
I DO, HOWEVER, HAVE A CURRENT ISSUE AS IT STANDS WITH THE LEASE THAT, UM, I WAS ON COUNCIL DURING THAT TIME AND HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT WAS BEING DONE.
AND FOR ME, IT POSES A SAFETY CONCERN AND A LIABILITY TO THE TOWN.
UM, I DID AS ALWAYS DRIVE BY THE PROPERTIES IN QUESTION, UM, BOTH SIDES.
AND I DO NOTICE THAT THE HOUSE DOES HAVE OFF STREET PARKING IN THE FRONT.
IT MAYBE ISN'T AS CONVENIENT, HOWEVER, IT'S NOT ABSENT.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AT GREAT LENGTHS THE PARKING ISSUES THROUGHOUT TOWN.
SO I GUESS MY CONCERNS HERE TONIGHT, ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO ENSURE THAT I WAS HERE IS FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT.
UM, AND I'M SORRY GEORGE, TO HAVE PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I WAS AFRAID THAT WAS THE CASE, THAT YOU WEREN'T EVEN AWARE OF THIS LEASE OR HAD SEEN THE TERMS OF IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, I AS MUCH OWN THAT AS ANYBODY SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE, OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTING TO THE MAINTENANCE AND, UM, QUESTIONABLE UPKEEP OF IT.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO HAVE SAID FOR MANY YEARS PRIOR TO BEING ON COUNCIL, THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE IN THE BUSINESS OF BEING PROPERTY OWNERS OR PROPERTY MANAGERS RATHER.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND, UM, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT EXISTS, WHY IT EXISTS, AND, UH, MORE SO WHY IT'S STILL PROPERTY OF THE TOWNS WITH A VACATION OF AN ALLEYWAY.
I'VE DISCUSSED IT BEFORE, BUT IT DOESN'T, THE APPLICANT ISN'T GUARANTEED THE PURCHASE OF THE ALLEY.
SO IF WE CHOOSE TO VACATE THE ALLEYWAY, IT'S BEEN APPRAISED.
AND, UM, WE GO FROM THERE WITH, WE JUST DID THIS LAST WEEK ACTUALLY, FAIR MARKET VALUE OR WHATEVER THE TOWN CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH.
UM, AND AT THIS POINT, I JUST, I'VE SEEN HIM BE DENIED.
I'VE SEEN HIM BE APPROVED AND I'VE SEEN HIM BE A LIABILITY AND THIS LOOKS LIKE A LIABILITY TO ME.
SO NOW THAT I, IF I MAY JUMP IN, NOW THAT I SEE THIS, AND I'D HAVE TO REVIEW IT SOME MORE, BUT THIS AGREEMENT WAS A WAY TO, UM, ADDRESS AN, AN EXISTING ENCROACHMENT, THE LEASE IN A PARKING IN A RIGHT OF WAY.
THERE WAS AN EXISTING ENCROACHMENT MM-HMM.
SO THE ISSUE WAS, WAS IT A FENCE? UM, THEY SAID A FENCE.
THE FENCE WAS THE ENCOURAGEMENT.
NO, WHAT WAS THE FENCE WAS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY IN THE ALLEY THAT PARALLELS, I GUESS, UM,
[01:15:01]
16TH OR RIGHT.SO, SO LET ME RESET THIS THEN.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I'M DOING THIS ON THE FLY, BUT, UM, IT APPEARS THAT THIS WAS, UM, A WAY TO SOLVE, UH, AN ENCROACHMENT PROBLEM.
GENERALLY WHEN THERE'S AN ENCROACHMENT IN TOWN RIGHT AWAY.
UH, AND THIS IS EVEN IN THE CHARTER, UM, THE POLICY IS TO REMOVE THE ENCROACHMENT.
UM, UH, AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION IS NOT TO CONVEY THE PROPERTY TO THE PERSON, BUT TO, UM, AS THIS SAYS IT'S CALL, I, I PREFER TO CALL IT A LICENSE.
BUT I, I, I'VE DONE THESE BEFORE AND I CALL 'EM A LICENSE, WHICH IS A RIGHT, WHICH IS REVOCABLE AT WILL TO SAY, OKAY, THERE'S AN ENCROACHMENT AND WE'LL LET IT STAY THERE FOR NOW.
AND IF WE CHANGE OUR MIND, MEANING THE TOWN, UH, WE CAN REVOKE IT AT WILL AND, AND REQUIRE YOU TO REMOVE THE ENCROACHMENT.
SO, SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I THOUGHT WE WERE DEALING WITH.
THIS WAS A SOLUTION TO AN EXISTING PROBLEM OF AN ENCROACHMENT, BUT THERE IS AN ENCROACHMENT HERE, BUT HOW DOES THAT SOLVE THE ENCROACHMENT OF THE FENCE BY LEASING A PARKING SPACE FOR ALREADY EXISTING? I DON'T KNOW ABOUT, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT PARKING SPACE.
I'M NOT, THE ENCROACHMENT IS NOT WHAT MY QUESTION'S ABOUT AT ALL.
NO, THERE'S A LEASE FOR PARKING.
AND IT, AND IT, IT SAYS IN SECTION 12 UNDER MODIFICATIONS AND EXTENSIONS THAT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS LEASE AND LICENSE AGREEMENT AND EXTENSIONS OR RENEWALS OF THIS LEASE LICENSE AGREEMENT SHALL NOT BE PERMITTED UNLESS AGREED TO IN WRITING AND EXECUTED IN THE SAME FORMALITY AS THIS AGREEMENT.
SO WAS THAT RENEWED IN JULY OF 2023? SORRY, UM, YOU WERE READING, JOE WOULD PROBABLY KNOW THAT, NOT YOU, SORRY.
NO, IT WAS NOT RENEWED IN JULY OF 2020.
WHAT WERE YOU READING FROM ITEM 12 ON PAGE FIVE OF THE PARKING LEASE MODIFICATIONS AND EXTENSIONS? UM, IT TALKS ABOUT RENEWALS OF THE LEASE, RIGHT? NOT RE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RENEWED FOR FIVE YEARS, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT MODIFICATIONS, UM, REQUIRING TO BE AGREED TO IN WRITING.
IT SAYS NO RENEWALS UNLESS AGREED TO IN WRITING.
SO THAT THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT I'M CONFUSED ON HOW OR IF WE'RE LEGALLY ABLE TO LEASE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
WELL, UM, AGAIN, THIS WAS A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAD AN ENCROACHMENT EXISTING, APPARENTLY, I HAVE TO LOOK AT IT SOME MORE, BUT THE EXISTING SITUATION WAS THERE WAS AN ENCROACHMENT, A PRIVATE PROPERTY ENCROACHMENT INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND, AND THAT CREATES PROBLEMS. OBVIOUSLY THE TOWN'S REQUIRED TO PROTECT ITS RIGHT OF WAY IS NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, IT CREATES TITLE PROBLEMS FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER.
SO I GUESS THAT I'M JUST HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING ALSO, IT CAN'T BE ACCESSED IF WE LEASE IT FOR PARKING.
SO THE ARGUMENT OF A VACATED ALLEYWAY TO USE FOR FIRE AND RESCUE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES, LIKE WE'VE HEARD AN ALLEY VACATION REQUESTS PRIOR.
IT'S BLOCKED BY PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL USE THAT'S IN A LEASE.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND, I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS HOW A LEASE FOR OFF STREET PARKING WOULD HAVE, UM, CORRECTED OR REPAIRED THE ENCROACHMENT LICENSE.
WELL, AND I'M STRUGGLING TO FIND THE PARKING PART OF THIS.
I THINK IT SOUNDED LIKE A NEGOTIATION TO ME.
THAT SOUNDED LIKE A, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF ARRANGEMENT WAS MADE TO PEACE PARTIES RATHER THAN THAT'S WHERE I'M GETTING AT.
JUST SO LET ME JUST THROW THIS OUT THERE.
WE CAN KEEP TALK, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
HOWEVER, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S OTHER QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED AND THAT, UM, AT THE VERY LEAST THAT MR. SONNET REVIEW THE OTHER DOCUMENTS HERE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, SIGNED WITHOUT WHEN YOU WERE NOT THE ACTIVE, LEMME PUT THIS WAY, THIS AGREEMENT WAS SOLELY TO ACCOMMODATE PARKING.
WELL, WE'LL IF IT, IF IT WAS TO REMEDY AN ENCROACHMENT OR TO TEMPORARILY AUTHORIZE AN ENCROACHMENT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT MATTER.
I'VE DONE SEVERAL OF THOSE IN THE PAST.
WELL, LIKE I SAID, IT SOUNDS LIKE BEING A LICENSE, IT'S REVOCABLE
[01:20:01]
AT WILL.I ONLY SAY THAT RATHER THAN TRYING TO HAVE YOU ON THE FLY REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT AND BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO IT, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GIVE YOU TIME TO, TO LOOK AT THIS.
WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN CONTINUE ON WITH THE OTHER PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IS THAT, WOULD WE BE, WOULD WE BE BETTER OFF TO JUST MOVE THIS WHOLE TOPIC TO THE NEXT WORK SESSION TO GIVE MR SON A TIME? OR SHOULD WE STILL BE DISCUSSING? 'CAUSE I KNOW THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES, RIGHT? RIGHT.
THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES, BUT WITH THE REQUEST IN ITSELF.
COMING INTO THIS, I, I WAS AWARE OF THESE TWO AGREEMENTS.
I DO BELIEVE THEY NEED TO BE WORKED OUT.
UM, I HAVE NO PROBLEM BRINGING THIS BACK ON OCTOBER 3RD, UM, WITH THE ANSWERS.
I, I THINK THAT WHEN WE HAVE SOME PROBLEMS HERE IS WE HAVE TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR YEAH.
AND SO I I I BELIEVE THAT YEAH.
WE'RE, OR AT LEAST THAT PART ANYWAY, IT, UM, BUT THE VACATING OF THE ALLEYWAY IS A SEPARATE LITTLE ISSUE GOING ON HERE TOO, BECAUSE, OR THE, THE REQUEST TO VACATE THE ALLEYWAY, THE, THE REQUEST ENCOMPASSES THIS LEASED AREA CORRECT.
SO YOU COULD GO AHEAD, WE COULD GO AHEAD WITH HAVING AN, AN INDEPENDENT VIEWING COMMITTEE.
UM, JUST TO, JUST SO THAT WE HAVE ALL OF OUR INFORMATION, CAN I GET THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM? YEAH.
WHILE MR. SONNET DOES THAT, I DON'T THINK THE APPLICANT'S GONNA CHANGE THEIR MIND ON WANTING TO VACATE THE ALLEY.
SO APPOINTING A VIEWING COMMITTEE TO GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK WOULD NOT CHANGE THE LEGALITY OF AN ENCROACHMENT OR A PARKING LEASE.
SO THE NEXT STEP IS TO NOTIFY ALL THE ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNERS AND HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WE ARE TOO LATE IN THE GAME TO DO A PUBLIC HEARING IN SEPTEMBER.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE IN OCTOBER, AND THEN THEREFORE AT THAT POINT IN OCTOBER, COUNSEL WOULD DECIDE EITHER TO APPROVE A POINT OF VIEWING COMMITTEE OR DENY.
AND JUST SO WE REALLY DON'T LOSE ANY TIME BY PUSHING IT TO OCTOBER 3RD.
CAN I JUST ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION? SURE.
UM, WOULD, SO THIS IS ALL COMING TO US, RIGHT? IT'S ALREADY BEEN THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION.
THIS DOESN'T GO THROUGH, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE WITH US, RIGHT? WOULD BE WITH YOU ON OCTOBER.
UM, IT'S, UH, I'M SORRY, OCTOBER 23RD.
SO, BUT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, PROPERTY OWNERS WOULD BE NOTIFIED.
BUT IT APPEARS AS THAT IF SOME PROPERTY OWNERS ARE ALREADY GIVING FEEDBACK, I'VE RECEIVED FEEDBACK.
MR. MR. HI HAS SOLICITED SOME INPUT FROM.
I WAS GONNA SAY, SO, SO WE ALREADY HAVE GOTTEN SOME INPUT, BUT THIS WOULD BE ASSURING THAT EVERYBODY FORMAL NOTIFICATION, A FORMAL NOTIFICATION AND THE YELLOW SIGN WOULD GO UP, OR NO.
'CAUSE WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO VISIT IT AT THE WORK SESSION ON THE THIRD BEFORE WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE GONNA DO A PUBLIC HEARING 25TH.
OR WE HAVE TO, WELL, NO, WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE TONIGHT.
WE CAN DECIDE ON OCTOBER 3RD OR OCTOBER 2ND, EXCUSE ME, TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON OCTOBER.
WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO, TO CORRECT THOSE.
SO, BUT WE'LL BE, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY FOR PEOPLE WATCHING, LISTENING FOR PEOPLE HERE, THE NOTIFICATION TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS WILL GO OUT BEFORE THE OCTOBER 2ND MEETING, OR, YES.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO ALLOW THEM 30 DAYS TO RESPOND.
THAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL PATH RIGHT NOW IS, WELL, NOBODY DISAGREED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
WE SAID WE WOULD DISCUSS IT AGAIN OCTOBER 3RD.
I'M SAYING THE LETTING, THE NOTIFYING THE PROPERTY OWNERS WOULD START NOW, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND WE LIKE TO GIVE THE PROPERTY OWNERS 30 DAYS TO RESPOND TO US IF THEY HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THE RIGHT.
AND SINCE THIS IS OCTOBER 11TH, THEY WOULD LITERALLY HAVE SEPTEMBER 11TH, I MEAN, YEAH, SEPTEMBER 11TH, THEY WOULD HAVE PROBABLY TILL LIKE, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME IT GETS THE MAIL 30 DAYS FROM TOMORROW.
SO, SO 1812, SO OCTOBER 12TH BEFORE THEIR DEADLINE IS RIGHT.
BUT I CAN BRING BACK THE INITIAL FEEDBACK ON OCTOBER 2ND.
I ONLY SAY THAT BECAUSE WE WON'T BE HAVING A, WE WON'T BE HAVING A WORK SESSION, A SECOND WORK SESSION IN OCTOBER BECAUSE OF D M L CONFERENCE.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT FURTHER ON OCTOBER 3RD AND DECIDE WHAT THE BEST PATH FORWARD WOULD BE.
I GUESS IT'LL BE INCLUDED IN THE VIEWING COMMITTEE OR WHATEVER THE COUNCIL DECIDES TO DO.
BUT I ALSO, I GREW UP IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND MY FAMILY HAD ACTUALLY PUT AN OFFER ON THAT HOUSE, AND I WAS A LITTLE GIRL.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHY THE TOWN RETAINED THE PORTION IN THE FRONT.
[01:25:02]
I KNOW THAT THAT'S, UM, BEEN AN ISSUE PREVIOUSLY.UM, WHAT, OH, I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK THERE'S UTILITIES UP THERE, BUT THERE'S A GO AHEAD.
THERE IS AN OVERHEAD UTILITY LINE OUT THERE THAT, UM, BUT IN THERE STORMWATER DRAIN THROUGH THERE TOO.
UH, I THINK IN THE ALLEYWAY, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT UP FRONT THERE, BUT, UM, IT'S AN UNUSUAL PIECE IN FRONT OF THAT PROPERTY BECAUSE IT'S NOT CONTINUOUS ALL THE WAY TO, TO WHERE NORTH ROYAL, UH, HEALS OFF INTO, I GUESS IT'S 12TH OR 14TH STREET.
SO, UM, IT'S AN UNUSUAL PIECE OF LAND THAT IS KIND OF, I, I HAVE, I REALLY DON'T SEE ANY USE BESIDES THE UTILITIES THERE.
THERE'S ROOM IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, UH, THE, THE CANOE GUY DOWN THERE, IF THAT EVER FLIES ON, IF WE WANTED TO PUT SIDEWALKS THERE, THERE'S ROOM FOR, FOR SIDEWALKS.
I AGREE THAT WE, THERE'S NOT ROOM IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE IS PAST IT FOR SIDEWALKS.
SO THAT'S A PROBLEM WITH THIS, THE CONTINUITY BETWEEN THESE PARCELS.
THE ROAD'S NOT LIGHT ENOUGH FOR SIDEWALK.
SO YOU CAN BARELY GET TWO CARS UP AND DOWN THERE.
I GREW UP ON 18TH AND BELMONT.
AND IF THE TRAIL SHINDO RAIL TRAIL DROPS OFF DOWN THERE AT V F W, AND WE, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS INFRASTRUCTURE BEING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT COULD TURN INTO A VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED, UH, PIECE OF LAND THERE.
SO ANYWAY, GOOD FOR US TO KEEP ALL THESE THINGS AT THE FOREFRONT.
SO, WELL, SO MR. M SORRY, I HAVE QUESTION Y'ALL.
IF, IF IT COMES DOWN TO IT TO WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, FINDING OUT SOME MISINFORMATION, IS IT POSSIBLE TO VACATE FOR US TO SUGGEST MAYBE VACATING PART OF IT AND THEN KEEPING PART OF IT? I BELIEVE THAT IS PART OF OUR PROCESS AS WE GO AND HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WE MAY HAVE TO ASK THE APPLICANT TO ADJUST HIS REQUEST.
UH, I, I THINK THAT I, I WANT STAFF TO WEIGH IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY WITH OUR EXISTING UTILITY EASEMENTS.
UH, NOT THAT WE COULDN'T VACATE THAT LAND, BUT WE'RE GONNA NEED EASEMENTS FOR SOME OF THESE UTILITIES IF WE DO VACATE UP TO THOSE UTILITIES.
SO THERE'S STILL A FEW THINGS WE, WE NEED TO WORK OUT, BUT, UM, THIS IS, LET ME SEE, FOURTH, FIFTH ALLEY SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
AND IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE, SOME NEIGHBORS ARE IN FAVOR, SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT, SOME PEOPLE.
SO IT'S, IT ALWAYS GETS TRICKY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DETERMINE, UM, WHAT'S BEST FOR, FOR CITIZENS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO OCTOBER 3RD, IT'S COMING BACK ON OCTOBER 3RD.
I KEEP SAYING THE THIRD BECAUSE THE NINTH WOULD BE, UM, TUESDAY, WELL, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT NOW.
COLUMBUS DAY, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE DAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL NOW, BUT, SO THAT WOULD BE THE NINTH.
SO OCTOBER 2ND IS OUR ONLY WORK SESSION IN OCTOBER.
SO WE'LL BRING UP OCTOBER 2ND AGAIN, AND THAT'LL GIVE MR. UMANA AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW ANY OF THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WE NEED FOR THAT.
DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? I CAN SAVE IT FOR OCTOBER 2ND.
WELL, THE, THE ONLY ONLY THING THAT I WAS GONNA ADD WAS IF, IF WE COULD HAVE LIKE A DI SORT OF THE DIMENSIONAL, UM, LAYOUT OF, YOU KNOW, HOW CLOSE IT'S GONNA BE TO THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS.
IT SHOWS YOU ON PAGE 99, THERE'S A, A BLACK LINE OF THE CURRENT PROPERTY OWNER'S LINE, THE PLANNED FUTURE FENCE LOCATION.
THE CURRENT PROPERTY LINE IN THE TOWN.
YEAH, I I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT FEET.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT EVEN UP AGAINST THEIR PROPERTY LINE.
WE'RE YEAH, WE'LL AGREE TO DISAGREE.
I DON'T THINK THE TOWN'S PROVIDING BUFFERS, LIKE, JUST LIKE WHEN ORCHARD, I'M NOT ORCHARD.
SO OCTOBER, OCTOBER 2ND, WE WILL BRING THIS FORWARD WITH, WITH MORE INFORMATION.
AND I WILL SAY THIS, IF COUNCIL HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, MAYBE SHOOT 'EM AN EMAIL SO THAT THEY COME PREPARED WITH ANY QUESTIONS WOULD HAVE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS PUBLIC INFORMATION AND IT WAS NEWS TO ME.
SO I APOLOGIZE AGAIN TO YOU, GEORGE, BUT I, I WAS APPALLED TO FIND OUT THAT THAT WASN'T PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WERE USING PUBLIC AS AT LEAST PRIVATE USE.
[01:30:01]
SO ANYWAY, I'LL BRING IT TO STAFF DIRECTLY THIS WEEK.YEAH, THAT WASN'T, THAT WASN'T DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU.
THIS IS MORE SO THAT THE NEXT TIME WE COME IN HERE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF BRUCE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE SAYING YOU'D LIKE TO SEE A MOCK UP WHERE IT HAS FEET SIDE OF IT, THEN MAYBE ASK THEM THAT AND THEY COULD ADD THAT IN OUR PACKET THE NEXT TIME I DROVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT THERE.
AND I, AND I SAW THAT THERE WERE SOME TREES PLANTED THERE THAT AREN'T, AREN'T THERE NOT, NOT IN THIS PICTURE.
THERE'S, THERE'S A BUNCH OF TREES PLANTED IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND, UM, SO ANYWAY, ALL RIGHT.
WHICHEVER SECOND WE SHALL REVISIT THIS.
WELL, I HAVE ONE QUESTION JUST ABOUT ENCOURAGEMENT.
SO IS THERE ANY, IF YOU HAVE, UM, LIKE, LIKE WITH EASEMENTS AFTER SO LONG A PERIOD, RIGHT? THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE.
SO IS THAT WHAT HAPPENS WITH ENCROACHMENTS? IS THERE A TIME LIMIT ON THAT? SO LIKE IF THEY'VE BEEN ENCROACHING FOR 10 YEARS, 15 YEARS, IS THERE ANY LIMIT? NO, YOU CANNOT ADVERSELY POSSESS PUBLIC PROPERTY OR AT LEAST NOT PUBLIC WAYS, STREETS AND ALLEYS.
YOU CANNOT ACQUIRE TITLE BY ADVERSE POSSESSION.
BUT THEY GOT PERMISSION TO BE ENCROACHED THOUGH, RIGHT? WELL, WHETHER THERE'S PERMISSION OR NOT, LET'S JUST SAY THERE IS NOT PERMISSION.
THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER DOESN'T ACQUIRE TITLE TO A PUBLIC WAY BY PRESCRIPTION.
SO RIGHT BEFORE YOU GOT ON COUNSEL, WE HAD SOMETHING SIMILAR, NOT SIMILAR, BUT LIKE THIS.
AND UM, SOME OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WERE NEAR THERE, UM, THEIR ARGUMENT WAS THEY HAD BEEN MOWING IT, THEY HAD BEEN USING IT, THEY HAD BEEN, THEIR CHURCH HAD BEEN USING IT, THEIR KIDS HAVE BEEN PLAYING THERE.
THEY'VE HELD THEIR EASTER EGG HUNTS THERE AND ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND SO AT THAT SAME TIME, JORDAN, THE SAME IDEA.
IS IT JUST 'CAUSE YOU'RE USING IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT REQUIRED.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A WHAT, WHAT POSSESSIONS NOT OR WHATEVER THOSE POSSESSIONS.
IT'S NOT
FOR COUNCIL AND PAGES ONE, BUT ANYBODY COULD USE IT, BUT IT, YEAH.
ON PAGES ONE 16 AND ONE 17 ALSO FOR COUNSEL TO NOTICE, UM, THE APPLICANT OWNS THE PROPERTY TO THE BACK OF IT AS WELL.
AND THEN, ALRIGHT, SO OUR NEXT ITEM IS CLOSED, BUT CLOSED DEFENSE IN THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY.
SO, UM, BEFORE, DID YOU HAVE SOMEBODY YOU WANTED TO OFFER BEFORE WE MOVE INTO CLOSE? JUST WE GOTTA ADD ONE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WAS GETTING READY TO SAY.
SO WHEN WHOMEVER READS THE CLOSED MOTION, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ADD BACK THE ITEM FROM OUR FIRST CLOSED.
SINCE WE OPTED TO NOT MAKE THE PEOPLE WAIT IN THE, WE DIDN'T TAKE ANOTHER HALF HOUR, HOUR AND MAKE EVERYBODY WAIT IN THE HALLWAY FOR US TO GET DONE.
WE DECIDED TO LET THEM GO HOME AND WE'LL BE HERE.
ONE PURSUANT TO 2.23711 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY THE PERK OF COUNSEL.
AND I WAS GONNA ADD IT TO THE THIRD BULLET, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THE SAME, SAME ONE.
ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS HAVE, LEMME HOP BACK OVER AND PLANNING COMMISSION, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND FRIDA AND PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A SEVEN OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND BRIEFINGS BY STAFF MEMBERS OR CONSULTANTS PERTAINING TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION WHERE SUCH CONSULTATION OR BRIEFING AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATION OR LITIGATING POSTURE OF THE PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL VERSUS FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY.
UM, AND THEN BRIEF THIRDED IT.