MORAN — Moran residents may not be saving as much as they’d hoped with their electric bills this year.
Moran City Council members were told Monday about some higher than expected electric transmission costs that could be coming down the pike.
Moran pays both for the electricity itself, plus transmission costs to send the electrons from generating plants to the city.
The cost of electricity has dropped substantially this year, now that Moran is buying its power through the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency.
However, Evergy (formerly Westar) notified the city earlier Monday that the transmission costs could rise to the tune of $2,000 monthly, in order to pay for upgrades to the electric substation south of town. Evergy owns the substation, as well as the transmission lines.
The city has no problem with Evergy maintaining facilities, but Council members bristled at the steep price hike, with no advance warning.
City Attorney Bret Heim told the Council Evergy was required to give Moran sufficient notice about substantial transmission cost increases for planned maintenance, so the city could adjust its electric rates accordingly for its customers.
City Clerk Lori Evans noted customers should still see lower bills — Moran’s contract with KMEA went into effect in June — but not as much as otherwise projected if Evergy’s higher transmission costs go into effect.
“We just received notice today,” Evans told Council members, leaving her little time to go over the fine print of the notice before Monday’s meeting.
Council members wondered if the steep increase was retaliatory, because Moran had bought its electricity from Westar before switching to KMEA.
Heim and Evans said they would continue investigating the matter.
THE 54 Fitness Center had closed its doors from March to June because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The center has since reopened its doors, but with Allen County adhering to a statewide face mask mandate, users must wear protective masks if using the fitness center.
Council members warned users that if they resist wearing masks while exercising, the city would most likely close the fitness center again.
The decision could be a moot point by this evening, Heim noted, if Allen County commissioners decide to opt out of the governor’s statewide mandate.
The county met in a special session Thursday, and agreed to let the mandate go into effect here the next day, but promised to revisit the issue at their weekly meeting this morning.
