JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities is going to wait a few more weeks before deciding whether or not it will hand over $475,000 in the form of a dividend payment to the city of Jamestown.
The BPU held its November meeting on Tuesday to finalize all five utility division budgets for 2014. However, some BPU members are at odds with city officials about giving $475,000 in dividend payments, similar to a $300,000 payment that was put into this current year’s budget. Prior to that, a dividend payment had not been given to the city by the BPU since the 1930s.
Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi included the $475,000 dividend payment in the 2014 budget, but it has been met with some resistance.
According to an article in the Post-Journal, BPU member Wayne Rishell said he would prefer the city implement cost-saving recommendations from the BPU, if it is to also command a portion of the utilities’ dividends. Rishell stated he would not support handing over the dividends if the city refuses to implement the budget recommendations.
In the city’s proposed 2014 budget, $400,000 is proposed to be taken from the BPU’s electric division budget while $75,000 is proposed to be taken from the water division. The dividends for the city are currently not included in the BPU’s tentative budget for those two divisions. BPU members debated whether or not to add the dividends on Tuesday, but came to no final decision. They will meet again on Dec. 3 to continue the discussions and finalize the budget.
Meanwhile, the BPU did approve the budgets for its three other divisions, including District Heat, Wastewater and Solid Waste. Of those three, only the Solid Waste division will see a rate increase in 2014, but that is only for residents who don’t recycle. Under the finalized plan, rates will increase to $20 a month for those who do not recycle at least once during a monthly billing period. If a customer does recycle, their bill will drop to $10 .
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