Richmondville Protests Proposed NYPA Rate Increase

RICHMONDVILLE — Electricity and what people pay for it was a major topic of discussion at the Monday, Feb. 24 Village of Richmondville board meeting.

The board voted 4-0 to approve a resolution stating on behalf of the village and Richmondville Power & Light that the New York Power Authority is "hereby requested and encouraged to re-examine the magnitude of its proposed rate increase, with particular emphasis on its requested profit percentage and its rapidly increasing administrative and general costs and its operation and maintenance expenses."

The document adds that NYPA has proposed a dramatic increase in the rates charged to its preference  power customers that include Richmondville Power & Light, which distributes power to its customers after receiving it from suppliers like NYPA but does not generate electricity.

Richmondville Power & Light is a member of the Municipal Electric Utilities Association of New York State and is "entitled under federal law to be provided with electricity from the Niagra Power Project to be delivered by NYPA at the lowest rates reasonably possible," the resolution states.

"The MEUA has voiced its significant concerns with both the magnitude of these increases and the methodology used in their calculation," it continued. "The governing board of Richmondville Power & Light deems it likely that NYPA's proposal to increase hydropower rates will have an adverse impact on our community, with particular risk to low-income residents and businesses already struggling economically to survive in an unfriendly New York State business environment."

Richmondville Power & Light has been able to not hike its rates since 2011.  A letter soon to be mailed to all RPL customers reminds them of the way the utility operates and answers some frequently asked questions.

"We don't make the power," said Trustee Robert Hyatt at the Feb. 24 meeting. He ran the meeting in the absence of Mayor Carl Warner Jr., who was unable to attend.

"We're still going to be cheaper than National Grid," added Richmondville Power & Light Director Tim Smith.

In other news from the Feb. 24 meeting, Fire Chief Floyd Seales commended Smith and his RPL crew on its response to a recent structural fire on High Street. Smith and RPL members responded to the scene even before firefighters from the Richmondville Volunteer Fire Department did and made sure no power issues arising from the fire endangered firefighters, Seales said.

"You guys did an excellent job," he told Smith. "You were right on the money."

Seales added that he has been encouraged by the number of volunteer firefighters responding to incidents recently. He said 15 or 16 responded to the High Street fire, whereas that number would have been only six or seven not so long ago.

"We're doing better than a lot of fire units in the county," the chief said.

Also in his report, Seales touched on a budget issue that left the fire department short on its expected amount for worker's compensation insurance. Village Clerk-Treasurer Hope Bayes explained that it resulted from a last minute decision by the village to stay with the same worker's compensation insurance provider for various reasons rather than switch to a different provider.

"Can we be included in the budget process somehow?" Seales asked. Board members agreed it was a good idea for the village and fire department to collaborate more closely on budget matters that concerned the department and reminded the chief that all budget workshop meetings are open to the public. Both the village and fire department budgets run on the fiscal year from June to June, rather than on the calendar year from January to January.

"I just want to make it better next year," Seales said. "I'm just trying to balance our budget."

Town of Richmondville Councilman and Fire Department Assistant Chief Eric Haslun commented that municipal contributions to the department have remained relatively flat for quite awhile and department members have had to compensate by aggressively pursuing grants and other forms of funding.

"If not for those (grants), we would be in dire straits," Haslun said.

"I want us as a board to be much more responsive to your needs," Village Trustee Milan W. Jackson stated.

There was some brief discussion on a possible increase in water/sewer rates, but the village is also trying to repair and replace quite a few meters and Hyatt said it didn't make much sense to pursue the discussion that much until all customers are being metered accurately. He asked Bayes to take the matter off future meeting agendas until there is more clarity on the meters issues and more is known about whether it's necessary to increase rates.

"How can we look to raise anyone's rates before everyone is paying their fair share?" Hyatt said. 

New village attorney Michelle Storm attended her first meeting Feb. 24, taking notes on her laptop and advising the board on certain matters as the meeting moved along.