Village electric rates may see an increase

WATKINS GLEN--The village board of Watkins Glen agreed to seek an electric rate study during their meeting Monday night, March 2, which may lead to higher electric rates once completed. Mayor Mark Swinnerton said the rates have not been updated for some time, adding that once the study is completed later this year, village residents could see as much as a 5 to 10 percent increase in their electric rates.
Swinnerton said the village had met with representatives of the New York Power Authority, who determined Watkins Glen is in need of an electric rate study "as soon as possible." He said the New York Power Authority will be the one to perform the study, while village Superintendent of Utilities Mark Specchio said the last time the village did a rate study was in 2004.
"A lot of things have changed in our community," Specchio said. "It may be time to update what we are doing."
While Swinnerton complimented what good shape the program is in fiscally, he said the rates are old and outdated. He said had the village made the request five years ago, the power authority may have denied the request, but added with the rates they are now, it looks like there will be a rate increase. Swinnerton said the rates could go up anywhere from 5 to 10 percent and that village residents should expect to see something like that upon the study's completion, which Specchio said "an aggressive study" could be completed by August or September.
In other business:
• Marianne Shoemaker spoke to the board about the Grand Prix Festival coming up Sept. 11 this year, addressing concerns listed by Police Chief Tom Struble about whether the event needs to run the full eight hours with Franklin Street closed down. Struble said his biggest concern was with this year's changes due to the track repaving at Watkins Glen International (WGI) racetrack, he did not want his officers out directing traffic for the full eight hours while nothing was going on at Franklin Street. Shoemaker said she would be able to fill the full time slot, while Swinnerton said this year the village needs to support the Grand Prix Festival, especially with the repaving project. Swinnerton said the board would allow the full eight hours now, asking that if it turns out the festival would be unable to fill the whole time slot that Shoemaker come back and inform the board the appropriate amount of time she would need.