Etna Green Town Council Mulls Ordinances

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Ryan Buckmaster-

ETNA GREEN - Indiana Municipal Power Agency representative Bev Matthews presented the net metering ordinance, a new and optional ordinance for the town of Etna Green's consideration at Tuesday night's meeting.

The ordinance allows residents and businesses the opportunity to purchase a generator for use as a source of energy. With a generator the consumer may then be using less of the town's electricity in efforts to cut back on cost.

If a consumer uses 200 kilowatts of power a month and the generator produces 250 kilowatts of power, then the town will credit the 50 kilowatts extra to the consumer's next bill.

The council expressed concerns with the difficulty in reading the amount used and pushed back on the current meters. With the purchase of a generator the consumer must also provide a new meter that can track the amount of energy used as well as the amount returned. The new generators must meet requirements set by the town as well.

The council passed the ordinance in hopes of helping reduce electric costs for both consumers and the town alike. For more information on the ordinance residents can contact the town clerk.

The council also discussed ordinance 2009-09, the salary ordinance. Councilman Jim Robbins presented to the town his concerns with the 3-percent increase in the town employee's cost of living pay.

Council president Todd Slabaugh said he felt it was against the town's fiscal responsibilities and mentioned that with the current economic situations it was not the town's best interest to pass the ordinance with the increase.

The council voted against the increase with a vote of 2 to 1. The final piece of the salary ordinance in question was the starting pay for part-time employees. The council agreed on increasing the starting pay to $10 and placed a maximum cap of $12.

The council discussed the importance of continuing its attempts to purchase a new severe weather siren.

Representatives of the Junior Football League presented the council with a picture of the past year's participants as well as t-shirts.[[In-content Ad]]

ETNA GREEN - Indiana Municipal Power Agency representative Bev Matthews presented the net metering ordinance, a new and optional ordinance for the town of Etna Green's consideration at Tuesday night's meeting.

The ordinance allows residents and businesses the opportunity to purchase a generator for use as a source of energy. With a generator the consumer may then be using less of the town's electricity in efforts to cut back on cost.

If a consumer uses 200 kilowatts of power a month and the generator produces 250 kilowatts of power, then the town will credit the 50 kilowatts extra to the consumer's next bill.

The council expressed concerns with the difficulty in reading the amount used and pushed back on the current meters. With the purchase of a generator the consumer must also provide a new meter that can track the amount of energy used as well as the amount returned. The new generators must meet requirements set by the town as well.

The council passed the ordinance in hopes of helping reduce electric costs for both consumers and the town alike. For more information on the ordinance residents can contact the town clerk.

The council also discussed ordinance 2009-09, the salary ordinance. Councilman Jim Robbins presented to the town his concerns with the 3-percent increase in the town employee's cost of living pay.

Council president Todd Slabaugh said he felt it was against the town's fiscal responsibilities and mentioned that with the current economic situations it was not the town's best interest to pass the ordinance with the increase.

The council voted against the increase with a vote of 2 to 1. The final piece of the salary ordinance in question was the starting pay for part-time employees. The council agreed on increasing the starting pay to $10 and placed a maximum cap of $12.

The council discussed the importance of continuing its attempts to purchase a new severe weather siren.

Representatives of the Junior Football League presented the council with a picture of the past year's participants as well as t-shirts.[[In-content Ad]]
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