The Bellefontaine City Council heard that electric rates for those residents in the aggregation program will increase in 2025. Service-Safety Director Wes Dodds told the council that the City of Bellefontaine’s current contract with Energy Harbor is set to expire on December 31 of this year. His office entered into a new 12-month contract with Dynergy Energy Services that will take effect on January 1, 2025.
Currently, residents in the aggregation program pay a rate of $0.0499/kWh with Energy Harbor. The new rate with Dynergy is $0.0718/kWh. Dodds reminded the council that the higher rate with Dynergy still provides significant savings over the current AES Ohio’s rate of $0.0858/kWh.
Dodds discusses the aggregation contract:
Dodds also said that residents can opt out of the aggregation contract and shop for their own rates. He warned residents, however, to read the fine print, as some rates are introductory or variable, and could end up costing residents much more in the long run:
In other council action, Mayor David Crissman administered the oath of office for new firefighter/paramedic Aaron Mauro. Mauro’s hire returns the firefighter ranks to 22, with the expected retirement of current Fire Chief Andy Fissel, who is set to retire on July 31 of this year.
Police Chief Chris Marlow informed the council that the three new police cruisers that have been ordered are still in limbo. He said that he received notice that the Explorers were set to be built this month, but he has heard nothing from Ford about the status of the vehicles.
He also told the council that the two new hires to the department are progressing quickly with their training and should be on their own in a few weeks. Both officers have experience with other departments and they are quickly grasping the new city layout and procedures.
Marlow also said that the department’s computer updates are going well, albeit slowly, and the mandated 911 computer updates are slated for completion in September of this year.
In the legislative portion of the meeting, the council considered several new ordinances for their first reading:
- R24-48: A resolution adopting an employee retention incentive policy was adopted.
- 24-49: An ordinance authorizing and directing the Service-Safety director to accept on behalf of the City of Bellefontaine certain real estate as a donated gift from Tod Johnson in the vicinity of Wren Avenue and declaring an emergency.
- R24-50: A resolution authorizing the Superintendent of the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District to apply for and accept an H2Ohio Grant through the State of Ohio, Department of Natural Resources for the Myeerah Nature Preserve Wetland Restoration Project.
The following ordinance was given its third and final reading and was adopted:
- 24-45: An ordinance making supplemental appropriations and amending the Permanent Appropriations Ordinance for purposes of fire department repairs, maintenance and incidentals, police investigations, and vehicle maintenance fuel and oil, and declaring an emergency.
The Bellefontaine City Council’s next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 7:30 PM.
