All Entries Tagged With: "Lamar Repowering Project"
ARPA and LUB Are Settling Lawsuit
The lawsuit between Lamar Light and Power and ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority is drawing to a close and is expected to conclude following ARPA’s monthly meeting set for Thursday, February 25th. Utility Board members voted to approve a proposed settlement with ARPA, Case Number 14CV30045, during their meeting Tuesday, February 23rd. Following an […]
Housekeeping Meeting Closes Lamar Utilities Board Year
Several annual housekeeping events were approved during the final Lamar Utility Board meeting on Tuesday, December 15th. One resolution establishes the interest rate paid on utility deposits and is drafted according to the regulations set by the state Public Utility Commission. The rate, set back in 2011, holds steady at 0.34% per year. The […]
Utility Board Gains New Member
Michael Horning, Lamar businessman, was sworn in as the latest member of the Lamar Utility Board, replacing the vacancy left when Michael Bryant’s term expired. Judge Stanley Brinkley administered his oath of office at the Lamar Light Plant offices on Tuesday afternoon, October 27th. He will serve a five year term until 2020. Board chairman, […]
Lamar City Council Sets 2016 Budget
The Lamar City Council was joined by the Lamar Utility Board of Directors for the public hearing held regarding approval for the 2016 budget. Revenues for the City are projected for next year at $7,890,328, which is an increase of $233,035 compared to the 2015 budget. The Sales Tax Revenue of $1,357,206 is steady against […]
ARPA Considers a New Rate Structure
Municipal member communities of ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority, may see a change in their electric rate structure pending the outcome of a cost of service electric rate study commissioned by the organization. During the group’s monthly meeting held in Las Animas last month, members hired JK Energy Consulting to conduct a study which provided […]
Bryant Honored for Service to LUB, Board Member Faces ARPA Suit
A vacancy for a position on the Lamar Utilities Board is currently open with the end of the four-year term for Michael Bryant. Bryant had served as board chair for his final year and has been replaced in that capacity by Rick Beard. Bryant’s departure leaves one spot open which is currently being advertised in […]
LUB Reviews 2016 Draft Budget for Lamar Repowering Project
“This is a bare bones budget,” according to Houssin Hourieh, Lamar Light Plant Superintendent. He remarked that overall; it’s 27% lower than last year’s submission sent to ARPA for approval under their Joint Operating Agreement. ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority, needs to have the budget submitted to them by August 1. 2016 revenues are […]
ARPA and City of Lamar Perspectives on Required Demolition Permit
The City of Lamar and ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority, have been at legal loggerheads for the past year over the failed Lamar Repowering Project, its ultimate disposition and the ability to default on the construction bonds used to build the coal fired plant. The plant has been offline since late 2011. In September 2014, […]
City of Lamar Can Take ARPA to Jury Trial over Repowering Project
The Senior District Court Judge, Scott Epstein, in the cases against ARPA by the City of Lamar and the Ratepayers comprised of several local business owners, ruled that although the Ratepayers case has no standing and their case was dismissed, the suits brought by the City of Lamar and Lamar Utilities Board can move forward […]
ARPA Board Signs Sales Agency Agreement for the Lamar Repowering Project
The Arkansas River Power Authority (ARPA) has entered into an agreement with International Process Plants (IPP) to assist with the marketing and sale of the Lamar Repowering Project power plant. IPP is a global asset recovery firm based in Princeton, New Jersey with offices and infrastructure in seventeen different countries. The contract with IPP follows […]
Lamar Utilities Board Keeps Power Development Options Open
Lamar Utilities Board Extends Green Castle Agreement The Lamar Utilities Board, following an executive session on Tuesday, April 14, voted for a third extension of the agreement with Green Castle to pursue development of a natural gas power plant for Lamar. Lamar Light and Power Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, explained the energy development firm needs more […]
Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan Adopted
The Lamar City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan during Monday night’s council meeting. Mayor Roger Stagner and City Administrator John Sutherland specified that many of the plans are contingent on adequate funding and this long-term project will not be completed in just a few years. It will involve […]
2014 Year in Review-May/June
The close of 2014 will put us at the halfway mark for the decade. Some use the passage of time as a measuring tool…how much have we done…how much time have we got left. But the timetable for a city or county should probably be measured in accomplishments, not a calendar. Some projects and […]
Lamar Utility Board Seeking Alternative Power Sources for Light Plant
The Lamar Utility Board ratified a letter of intent between LUB and Greencastle, an energy development firm from Ohio. The letter directs Greencastle to perform an exclusive feasibility study which will focus on options for the future use of the Lamar Repowering Project. Greencastle is a full service energy developer that specializes in renewable energy […]
Judge Denies Lamar’s Restraining Order Request Against ARPA & Syncora
The City of Lamar and Lamar Utilities Board were denied a request for a temporary restraining order against ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority and bonding agent, Syncora Guarantee, during a hearing conducted this past Wednesday, October 22. A Senior Judge, Scott Epstein, ruled that the parties will have 90 days to come to some form […]
City Prepares Finances for Main Street Overhaul
CDOT will begin a major overhaul of North and South Main Streets in the City of Lamar sometime in February or April of next year. Josh Cichocki, City Water and Wastewater Manager, said the city needs to secure funding to finance its share of the infrastructure improvement project while the water and wastewater main […]
Lamar Utility Board Approves 2015 Budget
The 2015 Lamar Light Plant budget was passed by the Lamar Utility Board during their meeting, Tuesday, October 14. The budget, according to Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, is in two sections. One budget deals with the revenue requirements for Operations for the transmission and distribution of electricity. The second deals with the Lamar Repowering […]
Thrall Joins Lamar Utility Board
The Lamar Utility Board officer line-up was reorganized following the swearing-in of Doug Thrall to the board on Tuesday, September 30, by Judge Larry Stutler. Thrall’s appointment was confirmed the night before by the Lamar City Council for a full, five-year term. There were no changes in the actual line-up as Mike Bryant […]
ARPA Board Continues to Evaluate Power Plant Options
Press Release At its meeting on September 25, the Arkansas River Power Authority (ARPA) Board of Directors approved a resolution finding that it would be economically beneficial to dispose of and/or decommission the Lamar Repowering Project, rather than continue to maintain it in “cold standby”. This finding was based on reports prepared by a variety […]
Temporary LUB Chairman Appointed
Mike Bryant was elected as a temporary board chairman by members of the Lamar Utilities Board during their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 12. Rick Beard was elected to serve as vice-chairman. Both members will serve in this capacity until a replacement for David Anderson has been recommended by the Utility Board and approved by […]