 |
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|
 |
||
 |
||
|
||
Ameren
House Testimony
Committee of the WholeIllinois House of Representatives State Capitol; Springfield, Illinois February 27, 2007; 1:00 pm Comments by Mayor Brad Cole City of Carbondale, Illinois Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for the opportunity to address this legislative body and to discuss an issue of great importance to my constituents, and your constituents, that of increasing electric utility rates for both residential and commercial customers of Ameren CIPS. Some have argued that, without the recent rate increases, Ameren and its various subsidiaries will go broke. They say that the rate freeze enacted by the Illinois General Assembly several years ago would cripple the companies if re-imposed. They say that it is unreasonable to expect the utility providers to keep costs the same for so long and that the increases are justifiable. As Mayor of the City of Carbondale, I must simply disagree and note that so does a vast majority of the residents of my community. No one is arguing that costs are likely to increase from time to time and no one is arguing that private companies should make a profit in order to stay in business and invest in the future. But everyone objects to the cavalier way Ameren CIPS has gone about increasing its rates so much at one time, with such little attention to the people who must pay the bills. In my city, a diverse, college community in the rural setting of southern Illinois, I have heard from countless individuals, families and business owners all complaining of the same thing... sky-rocketing power bills. Everyone is talking about it and no one is happy. As examples, let me share some personal stories I have heard first-hand. A 22-year-old college student who lives in a one bedroom efficiency apartment has seen her electric bill go from about $45 per month to $95 per month. That's not someone living high on the hog, that's a college student who works two jobs and goes to school full-time; her power bill doubled. And then there's a local businessman who operates a fitness center in a large building that is open around the clock, his electric power bill went from $2,500 to more than $5,000. And then there are the senior citizens, many of whom have lived in the same houses for decades, houses that aren't the best insulated, but they have to stay warm. Their bills are doubling as well; many monthly power bills that were once $150, or so, are now nearly $300. And this hasn't even been a severely cold winter downstate. What happened? What went wrong? How could Ameren CIPS tell us that rates were going to go up 40% - which was ridiculous enough - and then have bills double for residential customers, and double almost across the board? For the City of Carbondale itself, our bills are projected to go up about 57%, and we feel kind of lucky. But that 57% increase equates to about $285,000 a year and that is money that has to come from the tax payers. So, the tax payers are getting hit with higher rates at their homes and then they have to pay for higher rates for the municipality, too. We have actively incorporated energy saving techniques into our operations, but we have to have street lights, we have to have traffic signals, we have to provide for certain services that require electricity, such as running our water treatment plants and wastewater treatment facilities. Our annual electric cost this year is now projected to be just under $800,000, up from about $500,000 last year. The result is the same for us a governmental body as it is for the average home owner or renter... the bills are going up too much at once and people are suffering because of it. So, I urge you, the members of the Illinois General Assembly, to take some remedial action. Provide some relief to the people of this state. Get a handle on this situation before more damage is done and before more people start making decisions between heat and food or electricity and other basic necessities. Thank you. Comments by Mayor Brad Cole at a Regular Meeting of the Carbondale City Council Tuesday, October 31, 2006 Concerning Carbondale Power The action we just took as a City Council to urge the continuation of the rate freeze on electrical power rates in Illinois will hopefully have some effect, but I'm not overly optimistic about it. The fact is that many decisions have already been made or the time is rapidly slipping away from us to be able to continue the freeze or be able to modify its impact on the average citizen/customer. I am not usually the kind of guy who thinks government should be getting into things where it doesn't belong. We do enough of that everyday that we could probably step back to make things easier on people, but today is a different day. Today, we have a real problem on our hands with the way this enormous rate increase is going to affect people. Maybe it caught us off-guard or maybe we weren't paying attention far enough in advance or maybe I just don't know what happened to get us on the brink of a forty-plus percent increase in electrical rates… but, regardless, that's where we are right now. And, as I said a moment ago, there really isn't much hope that anything is going to change. Not just because of our resolution or the resolutions that other cities and villages are passing all around the State of Illinois. Ameren is trying to push something bold against the will of their customers, so let's try something bold of our own. Tonight I am asking the City Council, the city manager and city attorney to begin the steps to file eminent domain proceedings against Ameren to seize their power lines and their entire electrical distribution system that is located on the public rights-of-way in Carbondale. It is clearly in the best interests of the citizens of Carbondale to fight this disproportionate rate increase and that's what we should do. Here's what would happen: We'll go through the courts to take control of the power lines and internal grid system and we'll either buy the power directly from the power generation plants or we'll contract out with someone to supply the services. Right now, from what I can figure out, Ameren is charging more than eight cents per kWh. We can buy that same power on the open market for about five cents. With the forty-plus percent increase Ameren is proposing, their rates will be more than double what we could probably charge if we got into the electrical distribution business. The answer is likely substantial savings to the citizen/customer and an additional revenue source for the city. We're already in the water distribution business, so this wouldn't be that much of a stretch. Other communities in the region have done this for years, like Flora and McLeansboro; they operate their own municipal power distribution networks and we can work with them and the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency to get our system up and running. The poles and the lines are already there. The infrastructure is in place. We just need to get it out of the hands of Ameren and put it in the hands of the people, the people who are paying the bills. My challenge is two fold: First, to other communities throughout the entire State of Illinois: join with us and do this in your city, too. Stand up with us against the monopolistic out-of-state corporate conglomerate and stand up for the people we live next door to. Second, to Ameren and the power companies: if you don't want this fight in court and in the press, then simply exempt us from your price gouging and we'll go on about our business like it was a bad dream. If Ameren won't back down, then neither should we. We have an obligation to fight for our community and that's what I'm proposing to do under this scenario. Will it work? I think so and that's why we have professional staff and lawyers around, so they can figure out how to get it done. This is not the day for government to sit back and get out of the way of business and free enterprise, because this is not free enterprise. It is a captive market that needs protection. If there were other sources for power that would be one thing, but there isn't and I say let the power company try to defend itself. No, today is the day we say enough is enough. top September 5, 2005 City Council Meeting Recordings On-LineCarbondale, Illinois – Beginning today, audio recordings of Carbondale City Council meetings are available on-line through the City of Carbondale’s web site. “The August 16, 2005 meeting was the first meeting posted, and all future meetings of the City Council will be posted within a day after their conclusion. Previous meetings will be posted in the near future, as well,” said Mayor Brad Cole. The digital recordings can be accessed at www.ci.carbondale.il.us, then click on “Meetings” and then “City Council Minutes” and then clicking on the audio format to fit your computer, which is next to the desired meeting date. “This is another example of how Carbondale city government operates in an open and customer friendly manner, seeking to provide as much information about our activities as is possible to the general public,” said the mayor. “Our meetings are broadcast live on MediaCom cable channel 16 and all of our documents are open for public inspection. I doubt any other community in the region is this open with information and access to our meetings.” Listen to Mayor Cole's announcement (.mp3 file) at the conclusion of the Sept 6 City Council meeting Contact: Office of the Mayor 618-457-3229 top August 11, 2005 Mayor Brad Cole Accepts GOP Central Committee Post Belleville, Illinois – Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole was unanimously selected to fill an open position on the Illinois Republican State Central Committee at a meeting of Republican County Chairmen yesterday in St. Clair County. Mayor Cole will become the newest member of the Republican central committee and will serve the Twelfth Congressional District’s eleven counties, replacing Stephen McGlynn who was recently appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court. The state central committee is comprised of one committeeman from each of Illinois’ nineteen congressional districts. “This is undoubtedly a great opportunity for me to be part of the statewide Republican Party leadership,” said Cole. “But more so, this is an opportunity for the Party to refocus our energies in deep southern Illinois on the issues that matter most to the people. Bringing in a fresh perspective and having more geographic balance in this position will help us shape our message as we work to elect more Republicans as local and state officials.” Moving swiftly to assemble his team, Cole has named Erin R. Zweigart of Randolph County to be his Deputy Committeeman. “Erin worked hard as a candidate in the last election and I know she is committed to moving the Party forward; we’re going to work well together,” said Cole. The Twelfth Congressional District includes all or parts of Alexander, Franklin, Jackson, Madison, Monroe, Perry, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Clair, Union and Williamson counties. More information may also be obtained by contacting the Illinois Republican Party, back to top Aug 2, 2005
Spokane,
Washington - Carbondale, Illinois Mayor Brad Cole was elected to serve
as a
member of the Board of Directors for Sister Cities International
this past
weekend, at the organization's annual international conference. Approximately 700 attendees from around the
world came together for the conference events. The election
places Mayor Cole on the 25-member board, filling one of several
three-year
posts elected at the conference. Cole
is the only elected official serving on the board, which is comprised
mainly of
private sector representatives and Sister City delegates from other
communities. "This
is another terrific opportunity to showcase Carbondale's prominence in
international affairs and relations," said Mayor Cole.
"I am excited and proud to have this
chance to serve with such a distinguished group of people who are all
focused on
promoting good will through Sister City relationships." Mayor
Cole was instrumental in re-establishing Carbondale's Sister City
relationship
with Shimla, India earlier this year, which included a trip to the area
and a
tsunami relief fund raising effort coordinated by the Mayor's Office. Carbondale also has Sister City
relationships with Nakajo, Japan and Tainan City, Taiwan. Sister
Cities International's mission is to "promote peace through mutual
respect, understanding and cooperation... one individual, one community
at a
time," and is based in Washington, D.C. The
U.S. sister city program originated in 1956 when
President Dwight
Eisenhower proposed a people-to-people, citizen diplomacy initiative. The organization will celebrate its fifty
year anniversary throughout 2006. top May 5, 2005 Third Annual Bike 2 Work DayCarbondale, Illinois – For the third consecutive year, Mayor Brad Cole has announced a community-wide Bike 2 Work Day (B2W3) in the City of Carbondale.B2W3 will be held on Friday, May 20, and will include a luncheon and prizes for participants. The theme of this year’s B2W3 day is “bicycle to work with a friend,” signified by the numeral 2 in the day’s name, encouraging everyone to add a partner to their bicycling routine. In addition to awards for the person(s) who traveled farthest to work on bike that day, a trophy will be given to the business that has the most employees use bicycles that day. In previous years, trophies were awarded to Tom Reichmann, Mary Lavery, Kyle Harfst for farthest traveler, and to Anne Johnson and David More as bicycle spokespersons. The trophies will be awarded at a luncheon provided by the Office of the Mayor at the Town Square Pavilion in Carbondale, from 11:30am – 1:00 pm. Other presentations by bicycle groups and/or sponsors will also be made at that time. “This is a great opportunity to show people how bicycle friendly we are as a community,” said Mayor Cole. “Each year this event has grown larger and larger, with more awareness to bicycle activity and safety, which is primary our goal.” The City of Carbondale’s B2W3 day is part of a national effort to encourage more people to bicycle more often. May is National Bike to Work Month and the week of May 16-20 has been declared Bike to Work Week in numerous communities across the country. back to top February 1, 2005 Mayor Cole Announces Tsunami Relief Fund Collection Carbondale, Illinois - After only three weeks of collecting funds from throughout the community, Mayor Brad Cole announced today that the City of Carbondale has raised $4,726 for victims of the recent natural disaster and devastation. As part of his upcoming mission to India, when the Mayor will re-establish Carbondale's Sister City relationship with the City of Shimla, India, Cole will personally present the community donation to the Office of the Prime Minister in New Delhi. "Every cent that we collected will be presented in the form of one check," said Mayor Cole. "The funds will go directly to the India National Relief Fund and will help with all of the associated costs of assisting those most in need." The funds were collected primarily from a "red bucket campaign" that Mayor Cole launched earlier this month, in conjunction with local banks. "I really appreciate the willingness of the banks, every one of them, to place a red bucket on their counter and allow their customers to help with this important cause," said Cole. Several of the banks and numerous other members of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce also contributed funds raised by their employees. "This is impressive. For a community half-way around the world to show that it cares by donating such a substantial amount of money to people we have never met - and may never meet - this is what makes Carbondale a great community," Mayor Cole stated. Anyone wishing to contribute to the relief effort is still encouraged to donate; however, the City of Carbondale is no longer accepting contributions. Donations should be made with other not-for-profit organizations providing relief aid, such as on-line with www.usafreedomcorps.gov. back to top December 7, 2004 Mayor Cole Announces On-Line Bill Payment Options Carbondale, Illinois - Mayor Brad Cole announced today that the City of Carbondale is participating in an Internet payment service that is now available to residents in the community. The City of Carbondale has partnered with the office of the Illinois State Treasurer to offer services within E-Pay. The E-Pay program was launched under a state master services agreement that is available for local units of government in Illinois. "As I mentioned last month in my State of the City address, Carbondale now has even more options for our customers to use when paying bills such as monthly water and sewer statements," said Mayor Cole. "We continually strive to provide more conveniences to our citizens, and this new E-Pay electronic payment service is just the latest example." E-Pay allows a user to make payments through the Internet with cardholders of MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit card brands. Payments are being accepted now via the City of Carbondale's newly expanded web site, at www.ci.carbondale.il.us. There is a link for on-line bill payments with instruction to the user, or questions may be answered by calling a customer service representative in the water services office at 618-549-5302. back to top June 11, 2004 Mayor Proposes Ordinance to Regulate Medical Malpractice Suits Carbondale, Illinois--In the absence of substantive action by the Illinois General Assembly during its regular legislative session, Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole has proposed a municipal ordinance to address the growing crisis facing local medical professionals. Under our Home Rule authority, I am proposing that immediate action be taken to protect the availability of high quality specialized care that has become standard in Carbondale," said Mayor Cole. "The representatives in Springfield have forgotten about the citizens on Main Street, and we can no longer sit back and wait for action that obviously will not be taken. Rising medical malpractice insurance premiums for physicians practicing in Carbondale, Jackson County and throughout the state have been cited as the reason for a significant and alarming out-flight of specialized care providers. Carbondale recently suffered the loss of two premier neurosurgeons, the only two in the entire region, due to the surge in insurance premiums brought about by this crisis. "The General Assembly has failed to act, placing the burden on us at the local level to attempt any measure possible to maintain specialized care for our residents," said Cole. "It is truly a matter of life and death." Mayor Cole explained that insurance premiums for neurosurgeons across the Mississippi River in Missouri are considerably lower, sometimes as much as five times lower than for physicians practicing in Carbondale and Illinois. "It becomes a business decision for the doctors, and who can blame them for leaving here to work in a friendlier environment?" An ordinance regulating recovery in medical malpractice suits will be presented for action to the City Council of the City of Carbondale at its next meeting, Tuesday, June 15, 2004, to be held at Carbondale City Hall at 7:00 pm. The ordinance may
be obtained from the City’s website, www.ci.carbondale.il.us . Contact: Office of
the Mayor
February 23, 2004 Child
Care
Review Panel Appointed by Mayor Carbondale, Illinois - Mayor Brad Cole has announced the appointment of a nine-member review panel that will be charged with making critical recommendations concerning the City of Carbondale's child care program. Naming a review panel is the result of action taken by the Carbondale City Council at its February 17, 2004, meeting to address future funding needs of the Eurma C. Hayes Child Care Center. "I have selected a group of concerned citizens, some of whom represent specific community organizations, that will look into the past, present and future operations of our child care program," said Mayor Cole. "The panel must now objectively make recommendations about the viability of a municipal child care program." "The panel is open and encouraged to explore whatever alternatives and opportunities that may be available to the City of Carbondale in facing this situation, while realizing the significant financial constraints that are now at issue," said Cole. The child care program originated in 1966 through the efforts of a group of church affiliated women called Church Women United. From 1970 to 1975, the program was operated by the Attucks Board of Governors utilizing funds from the federal Model Cities Program. In 1974, the Child Care Center moved into the new Eurma C. Hayes Center and, in 1975, the City of Carbondale assumed administration of the program. Dr. John C. Guyon, Chancellor Emeritus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, will chair the review panel. "I could think of no better person than John Guyon to chair this group; he is fair-minded, purely objective, and sincerely dedicated to serving the community," said Cole. "He has my full support to meet the panel's charge." The review panel will issue a final report and recommendations by July 1, 2004.
January 12, 2004 Mayors
of Carbondale and Chicago meet
Sep. 3, 2003 Cole Proposes Home Ownership Program Carbondale, Illinois - Cited as the largest new home construction plan in southern Illinois, Mayor Brad Cole unveiled a comprehensive Home Ownership Program to the Carbondale City Council at its regular meeting last night. "Our goal is to have 200 new homes built within the city limits during the next three year period," said Mayor Cole. "With more than $1 million in public investment, this is by far the most aggressive home construction program in the region." Under the plan outlined by the Mayor, the City of Carbondale will provide financial incentives to new home construction through two separate measures. The first phase is an Infrastructure Improvement Grant, which will help fund the development of open land into new subdivisions. Costs for roadways, water and sewer and other public services will be offset to help reduce the price of newly developed lots for construction. The second phase, a New Home Construction Grant, will target home construction in existing subdivisions and on in-fill lots throughout the community. This step will help maximize land use specifically targeting single-family homes. "This is an exciting time for the City and there will never be a better opportunity for people to build and buy homes in Carbondale," remarked Cole after the proposal was approved by the City Council. "We want people in southern Illinois to know that Carbondale is family-friendly. We want people to come home... home to Carbondale." Information about the program will be available to contractors and developers through the Development Services Department at Carbondale City Hall. The Mayor's memorandum to City Council regarding this measure can be read online. Back to top July 7, 2003 New Hours Announced for Carbondale City Hall Carbondale, Illinois - Mayor Brad Cole announced that, effective July 7, 2003, all offices in Carbondale City Hall will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding observed holidays. This will include the normal lunch hour of 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. The only exception in operating hours is the Water Office, which closes at 4:30 p.m. daily. "The objective is to provide citizens with the best service possible and this includes being available to assist them at times convenient to them, which is often during the lunch hour," said Mayor Brad Cole. Personnel will be available in each office during the lunch hour and throughout the regular business day to provide services to the public. Carbondale City Hall/Civic Center is located at 200 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, Illinois 62901; telephone 618-549-5302. Contact: Office
of
the Mayor,
618-457-3229 |
Chicago,
Illinois --
Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole met with Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago
recently, taking steps to begin a positive, long-term relationship
between the two communities.