Skip to content

Natural gas rates in Troy to decrease

Natural gas rates in Troy to decrease
By DONNA RYDER
Associate Editor
It’s not often residents have a reduction in their utility rates, but that’s exactly what’s going to happen for Obion County residents who have their natural gas service through the Town of Troy.
Mayor Jimmie Hart informed the board of aldermen Monday night that he has been “lucky enough to purchase city gas at a reasonable rate” and thinks the department can handle a 20 percent reduction in natural gas rates.
“If we get in trouble down the line, we can adjust it again,” he said, adding the town’s residents could use a break.
Alderman Ralph Wheatley asked about a reduction in the base rate, since some people leave their gas on year-round, but don’t use any gas during the summer. Hart said he would review it and bring a recommendation to the next board meeting.
In other business, the board:
• Agreed to renew three CDs.
• Rescinded an April vote to buy a lawnmower and lease it to the golf course. The Industrial Board has agreed to make that transaction. The board also voted to give the Industrial Board an $11,000 advance payment on its annual $60,000 grant in order to purchase the lawnmower.
• Learned no bids were received to purchase the trailer behind City Hall, but the city did receive a price of $1,800 to have it moved. The board agreed to allow Mike Scott and Earl Bell to have the trailer for moving it off the lot. They estimated it would cost them $1,500 to move it and another $5,000 to fix it.
• Heard the city will have money available from a grant to retrofit several air-conditioning units, including the one at the fire department and the one at the city-owned First State Bank building. The work must be completed by the end of the month.
• Discussed a letter from county clerk Vollie Boehms stating she has for various reasons decided not to accept payments for rural fire service. Fire Chief Mark Watson told the board the city’s contract is with the county for the collection of the fees and not with Mrs. Boehms. He said the county is responsible for collecting the fees.
Stan Mitchell told the board he was at Monday morning’s budget committee meeting and Mrs. Boehms had agreed at that meeting to take the fees until the county has a referendum on a fire tax. She apparently has since changed her mind and, in a letter presented to The Messenger this morning, stated she will no longer accept the fire fees, effective immediately. (See related story, Page 1.)
• Was informed the culvert on Virginia Drive has been cleaned out.
• Heard the land purchased recently for the industrial park has been cleared and is being farmed by Lyn Maloney. The town will receive one-fourth of the crop income as payment. Hart said he is working on getting a grant to extend utilities into the area and the Tennessee Department of Transportation has agreed to build roads if the town can get a company to build a plant there.
Published in The Messenger 5.8.12