Holly Town Board Approves Electricity Rate Hike

Johnnie Lyons, Receiving Trustees Oath from Clerk Mary Rushton

Holly residents will see a flexible electric rate hike for kilowatt hour use in their bills effective this month.  The Holly Town Board voted for the ECA, Electric Cost Adjustment increase which will last until February of next year, at which time the board will discuss any alteration.  The increase is on the recommendation of NMPP, Nebraska Municipal Power Pool, an organization which offers utility information for several hundred communities in six Rocky Mountain states.  Marsha Willhite, Holly Town Administrator, told the board the increase is needed to begin to restore depleted cash reserves.  NMPP recommended a figure in the neighborhood of $600,000 by 2016, according to Willhite.  The board will also review how the increase is impacting classification of customers, residential, commercial and industrial.  An explanation of the need for the increase will be included in the Resolution passed Wednesday evening by the board. 

Holly Town Clerk, Mary Rushton, reviewed recent electricity revenues, which are up 5.5% compared to last year, and show a month to month gain over 2010.  Power purchase costs have increased $149,000 by the end of the third quarter, compared to the same time last year.  Sales of electricity are up $72,000 this point in the year, compared to 2010.  Administrator Willhite said the town can save $1,320 a year in service fees from NMPP regarding a spreadsheet audit and record keeping.  She said Lamar Light and Power is currently providing those services, and she felt there was no need for duplication.  Willhite is meeting Friday with those contractors specifically involved with the utilities layout for the new high school for a review of the plans.  She said one issue that needs to be resolved is the location of a pad mount transformer. 

Board members approved a health plan contract for town employees.  Rocky Mountain PPO was selected for coverage for one year.  Under the plan, employees will pay a $75 monthly premium with the town covering the balance.  Spouses can be covered for an additional $100 monthly fee.  The board also approved an annual insurance coverage premium of $448.29 for the town’s electric generator, as well as ARPA’s, Arkansas River Power Authority. 

Vance Brian, Town Field Supervisor made his final report to the board this Wednesday, as he’s retiring from the position.  Brian said rebating for prairie dogs took place out at the town airport runway.  The town’s east lagoon has been cleaned down to the seat coat, with several truckloads of accumulated silt and dirt hauled away.  Brian said the west lagoon is in bad need of a thorough cleaning, especially weeds, and work should get underway this spring on that project.  Some transformer work was done on 11^th Street.  Brian said one pole was supporting seven different residential lines, and they have been split off to allow for better customer service and access for future work.  Roadbase was laid out on 6^th Street to help control mud issues.  The pool was repainted this fall, a project that’s done every two years, and the stand of grass seeded earlier at the North Park is coming up. 

Johnnie Lyons was sworn in as a new Trustee with Clerk Mary Rushton leading him in his oath of office.  The board approved the liquor license renewal for J.R.’s Country Store, and they received a ‘thank you’ visit from Susan and Larry Lucius in appreciation for the assistance the town gave in their business, L & L Greenhouse.  Mr. Lucius said it should be ready by the early part of December.  The Public Hearing set for the start of the monthly meeting was brief, as no one in attendance had comments or questions regarding the abatement of a portion of Pine Street north and contiguous of the premises at 610 Pine Street.

By Russ Baldwin