MORAN With the city eight years into a 10-year contract to buy electricity from Westar, its time to begin thinking about a new pact.
City Council members were approached Monday by Bill Birnel of Westar, who said the new contract should provide substantial savings to the city.
Thats because the previous contract, approved in 2010, was ratified under regulations that mandated the price at which Westar could offer its electricity, Birnel explained.
We couldnt negotiate, he said. About all we could say was, Heres the price.
That price control mandate has since been removed, Birnel said.
Im not saying your price will be half what it was, Birnel said, but it will be substantially less.
He asked the Council to consider what the city prefers regarding the length of a new contract, or other negotiable terms.
Westar is seeking a contract of at least five years, and is willing to tear up the final two years of the current pact if the city were to tack it onto a new deal, Birnel said, which would result in a seven-year contract.
I know there is competition out there, Birnel said.
Council members asked Birnel to return in July with proposals for five- and seven-year contracts, using both fixed and variable rates for the power.
Later in the meeting, when talk turned to the citys 2019 budget, which must be finalized this summer, Council members agreed to stay in touch with Westar, while also looking at other energy suppliers.
COUNCIL members voted, 4-0, to allow a variance to a city ordinance that otherwise would have prevented resident Rod Westhoff from replacing a damaged mobile home at 323 S. Park St.
The variance was needed, Westhoff explained, because the new mobile home he wants to place is 17 years old, too old for the city ordinance.
Otherwise, the mobile home in question is in good shape.
The Councils approval is contingent upon an inspection by Moran City Superintendent Mike Stodgell.
MORAN POLICE Chief Shane Smith was presented with the AAA Kansas Traffic Safety Gold Award.
