AEP sends sticker shock to Fair Board WATCH THE VIDEO
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Three members of the Highland County Fair Board expressed serious concerns with the board's most recent AEP electric bill during the Feb. 15 meeting of the Highland County Board of Commissioners.
Fair Board members Jon Holbrook, Nathan Cook and Mark Baldwin presented the board's most recent AEP invoice for the Highland County Fairgrounds. Previous charges had totaled $3,473.08 and were paid on Jan. 24.
The latest statement, with a due date of March 2, reflects a total amount due of $15,616.48.
"If this rate holds true for the remainder of the year, our total electric would cost $281,000," Holbrook said.
Holbrook said a typical monthly bill, not counting September (which is fair month) ranges from $800 to $1,000.
"At the current rate, the electric bill would consume almost our entire budget," Baldwin said. "To go to $15,000 from $3,000, that's just a killer."
"That's an unsustainable increase," Highland County Commission President Shane Wilkin said.
Baldwin told commissioners, "If we can't come to a solution, we are looking at doing away with AEP for the fair and possibly use generators. They've got us between a rock and a hard place."
The fair board members also said there are issues when renting buildings at the fairground where electricity is needed. It's difficult to pass that cost on, they said.
[[In-content Ad]]The board is in the process of writing a letter to AEP and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. The commissioners have asked for a copy of the letter.
On the commissioners' agenda for 9:15 a.m., was AEP representative Shaun Semran to discuss the ongoing issue over significant increases in local AEP bills. However, after 25 minutes, Semran hadn't shown up.
Wilkin called AEP and was informed that Semran said he didn't know he was supposed to be at today's meeting. Wilkin then invited the fair board members to a county office, where they had a conference call with AEP representative Ken Baumann.
Wilkin later informed the HCP that Semran was inadvertently put on the Feb. 15 agenda, but was not scheduled to be in attendance.
Fair Board members Jon Holbrook, Nathan Cook and Mark Baldwin presented the board's most recent AEP invoice for the Highland County Fairgrounds. Previous charges had totaled $3,473.08 and were paid on Jan. 24.
The latest statement, with a due date of March 2, reflects a total amount due of $15,616.48.
"If this rate holds true for the remainder of the year, our total electric would cost $281,000," Holbrook said.
Holbrook said a typical monthly bill, not counting September (which is fair month) ranges from $800 to $1,000.
"At the current rate, the electric bill would consume almost our entire budget," Baldwin said. "To go to $15,000 from $3,000, that's just a killer."
"That's an unsustainable increase," Highland County Commission President Shane Wilkin said.
Baldwin told commissioners, "If we can't come to a solution, we are looking at doing away with AEP for the fair and possibly use generators. They've got us between a rock and a hard place."
The fair board members also said there are issues when renting buildings at the fairground where electricity is needed. It's difficult to pass that cost on, they said.
[[In-content Ad]]The board is in the process of writing a letter to AEP and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. The commissioners have asked for a copy of the letter.
On the commissioners' agenda for 9:15 a.m., was AEP representative Shaun Semran to discuss the ongoing issue over significant increases in local AEP bills. However, after 25 minutes, Semran hadn't shown up.
Wilkin called AEP and was informed that Semran said he didn't know he was supposed to be at today's meeting. Wilkin then invited the fair board members to a county office, where they had a conference call with AEP representative Ken Baumann.
Wilkin later informed the HCP that Semran was inadvertently put on the Feb. 15 agenda, but was not scheduled to be in attendance.