By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com

There was something of a triumphant air about proceedings as Galion City Council held a special meeting Wednesday to tackle a few issues. Chief among them was the first PCA calculation since that ordinance was amended.

It is no secret that electric rates have been a hot button issue in Galion for some time and a source of criticism aimed at both members of City Council and the administration.

“This is another example of this council and this administration taking care of our electric customers on our watch,” Mayor Tom O’Leary declared. “This is a real positive.”

RELATED CONTENT: Galion City Council changes PCA procedures for electric utility

Mike Richart introduced Ordinance 2015-73, as it had come through his committee, and announced that it called for a reduction of $.0025 (a quarter of a penny) per kilowatt hour. The rules were suspended on this legislation so as to make it retroactive to Sept. 1.

For the average household this will save several dollars per month. For the high volume customers in town, businesses and industry, the savings could rack up to something quite substantial.

In a slightly ironic twist, the much-criticized contract with the Prairie State Energy Campus has played a large part in making the reduction possible. The city has seen power costs go down across the board, but Prairie State in particular has reduced its charges.

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The two other ordinances on the special agenda dealt with the city’s myriad of paving projects. At the last regular council meeting some large changes to appropriations were made in the neighborhood of $400,000. However, Safety-Service Director John Swain was not given the authority to spend that money. That was corrected with Ordinance 2015-74.

Finally, Ordinance 2015-75 provided for inspection services once paving is completed on the Portland Way South project. This ordinance allows for inspection services to be nine percent of the overall project. This will take place sometime in spring 2016.