(Atlantic) The Atlantic City Council approved the Atlantic Municipal Utilities 2021 budget at Wednesday’s meeting. General Manager Steve Tjepkes presented a report to the Atlantic City Council showing no rate increases for electric or water.
According to a recent electric rate survey of all 181 electric companies in the state only one utility company in Iowa (Denison) with lower overall average rates than AMU. According to the report due to COVID, AMU electric sales to small commercial customers were down about 10% this year. On the positive side, due to COVID, less energy was used nationally so wholesale market prices were down about 25%, thus AMU was able to purchase this lower-cost electricity rather than operating the coal plant as much in 2020.
As far as the water department, is concerned, AMU was awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for almost $500,000 to pay a portion of three large water capital improvement projects planned for the next two years:
*Install water main underneath Nishnabotna River along 2nd street near wastewater treatment plant to provide loop feed to customers west of the river (Spring 2021)
*Replace and repair concrete walls and ceiling on Clearwell at the water treatment plant (Currently planned for 2021)
*Replace filter media in 6 large filters at the water treatment plant (2022)
The total cost of the projects is about $1.3 million. The CDBG grant will cover $500,000, AMU share is $800,000 to be paid out of cash reserves.
The 2021 Budget has been reviewed and adopted by the AMU Board of Trustees after a Public Hearing held this past Monday night.
In other activities; the City Council approved the appointments of Katherine Smith to the Utility Board of Trustees and Adam Skog to the Library Board of Trustees.
The Council also approved the third and final reading to vacated an Alley east of the Intersection at East 9th and Plum Streets. And approved the second reading adopting a proposed amendment to the City Zoning Code.
