Natural gas prices down for city residents

City Purchasing Agent Greg Williams reported on how changes made in the way the city purchases natural gas in the last quarter and the recent cold snap will affect Dyersburg residents.

"The changes we made over the past few months are starting to take effect," said Williams. "We are buying from BP (and) taking advantage of discounts and lower management fees. The gas price for this January is $8.72, compared to $10.93 last January and $11.40 in January 2008."

Williams said the city's current natural gas rates show a 20 percent discount from the 2009 price and a 24 percent discount from the 2008 price. The total discount of the MuniGas Discount over the past two years of the program is $990,177. That savings has been passed on to city customers.

"(Our price) is partly due to the market conditions and partly due to the changes we've made," said Williams.

Williams said a survey of 10 municipal systems in West Tennessee and Western Kentucky reveals Dyersburg with the second lowest natural gas rate in the study.

"The highest rate is $13.80 and the lowest rate is $7.24," said Williams. "The average rate is $11.27. Dyersburg's rate is $8.72, with only one system surveyed charging a rate lower than Dyersburg."

"That's good for the rate payers," said alderman Bob Kirk.

"Thank you, Greg," said Mayor John Holden. "We appreciate your work with this, and the Gas Committee, too."

Williams said the recent cold snap isn't the worst the city has seen in the past two years as far as natural gas prices are concerned.

"You may have been getting some questions and concerns about the recent cold weather this January and the way that will affect the customers' bills," said Williams. "Usage was a little more than last (January) and a little less than the year before."

Natural gas usage by Dyersburg City residents projected for January 2010 is 176,593 mmbtu, compared to 167,273 mmbtu in 2009 and 189,202 mmbtu in 2008. Williams figures the average January bill to be $131, compared to $164 in January 2009 and $171 in January 2008.

"That word 'average' is a pretty broad term," said Williams, who said the figure does not take into account the size of the house, the home's efficiency, the billing cycle, the kind of heat or the amount of usage preferred by the owner.

Also at the meeting,

* board members approved the city attorney's invoice for $4,563.25. Kirk moved to approve the invoice, with alderman Bart Williams adding a second. The motion passed unanimously, with all members of the board present for the meeting.

* Holden informed the board that the street department had demolished homes on Monday through the city's condemnation process and that 2,831 calls had been collected in the city's new 311 system since its implementation on Jan. 1.

"Of those calls, we had 60 service requests for non-emergency items," said Holden. "I think it's going to be a benefit to our citizens as we are going forward."

* Holden announced a grant received by the city by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency-Neighborhood Stabilization Program that will allow the city to remove blighted residential structures throughout the city at no direct cost to the property owner or the city. City officials strongly encourage any property owners interested in learning more about the program to contact Thomas Mullins in the Codes Department at 288-2541.

In aldermen reports,

* Freeman Dudley asked City Recorder Gleyn Twilla how the city plans to address two different homes with trees laying on their roofs that may be a physical danger to residents.

"(Today I saw) a couple of boys who looked like they were going inside," said Dudley. "And it looks like the roof has already fallen in."

"The Codes Department has looked at both of these properties," said Twilla. "I can tell you that one of these properties is close to being demolished and the other will most likely be in the tax sale this fall. (The safety of the public is) one of the reasons we do these condemnation programs."

Twilla and Dudley encouraged residents concerned about unsafe buildings in the city to call City Hall during business hours or 311 anytime.

N Dennis Moody requested the cannon be set up near the playground at Dyersburg Intermediate School to scare blackbirds and starlings that are beginning to nest in the backyard of the houses located near them.

* Lewis Norman requested an update on the home program available to area residents.

"The participants have been chosen (for that program)," said Twilla. "We hope to start the first of February or the first of March. We only need three times more money than we've got."

Norman also asked when the budget comparison for the second quarter of the 2009-2010 fiscal year will be available. Holden and City Treasurer Steve Anderson expect those numbers to be ready near the end of the month.

Kirk, Williams, Kevin Chaney, Jewell Horner and Charles McCright had nothing to add in the reports from aldermen.