The College Station City Council agreed Thursday to reduce the cost to participate in the city's wind-energy program.
Council members also expanded the year-old Wind Watts program to include businesses at the same rate as residential customers.
The voluntary program allows participants to choose to get 10 percent, 50 percent or 100 percent of their power from a wind-turbine farm west of Abilene. The council's decision lowered the price of the program from $3.50 to $2 extra per month for the lowest level and from $30 to $20 a month for full wind power. The program is a premium over the regular rates.
David Massey, director of College Station Utilities, said Wind Watts fees are used to pay for the transmission of wind energy and to fund the city's Green College Station tree-planting program. The program's cost to the city has decreased due to lower transmission rates in the industry, which allows Wind Watts to offer the service at a lower rate, Massey said.
Wind Watts is only selling 4 percent of the wind energy that the city is contracted to bring in, and in 2015 the city plans to triple its wind supply, Massey said. There is a chance that a few large commercial customers could use up the remaining portions of the wind supply, he said.
"We didn't have to have a certain amount of customers to make anything work," he said.
The new rates are higher than what the council had originally considered after Councilman John Crompton suggested more funding be set aside for the city's tree-planting program. Massey had suggested reducing the cost from $3.50 to $1.50 per month at the lowest level and from $30 to $10 at the highest level of participation.
Crompton said the people he had talked to about the program were willing to pay the higher price.
"If we're going to have trees, there needs to be a dedicated fund for it, and this gives an opportunity for that," he said.
Councilman James Massey voted against the measure because he said he was in favor of the price cuts that David Massey had originally proposed.
Councilman Dennis Maloney said he didn't have a problem raising the prices because Wind Watts is a strictly voluntarily effort for utility customers who want to do something to help the environment.
The City Council also set the fees for parks and recreation activities and facilities.
David Schmitz, parks and recreation department assistant director, said the rates include one fee for all athletic fields and adult and youth sports, averaging a 10 percent increase. Other changes include a 10 percent increase in fees for use of the Conference Center, the EXIT Teen Center and general admission to city swimming pools and a 50 percent differential between resident and non-resident fees where practical, Schmitz said. There will be no changes to vendor permits or charges to Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater and the Xtra Education classes.
Schmitz said the fees were suggested after several public input meetings, and an 18-member subcommittee evaluated the effects of the changes.
The rate increases will bring in more than $100,000 in additional revenue, assuming the changes don't cause a reduction in the number of participants in athletic programs, he said.
Also at the meeting, the City Council:
* Approved spending $273,500 to update the Interlocal Agreement for Emergency Medical Ambulance Service to respond to emergencies in Brazos County. The amount represents a decrease of more than $22,000 from fiscal year 2009 because there were 150 fewer emergency medical calls than in the previous year.
* Approved more than $94,300 for a construction contract with Prince Irrigation for improvements on Eagle Avenue and Barron Road. The improvements include planting trees and irrigation installation.
* Approved an agreement worth more than $88,000 with Sims Plastics of Waco for concrete meter boxes. Money for the project is available from the water fund.
* Approved a contract worth more than $42,170 with Allstate Tower of Henderson for construction of a radio tower and equipment pad at the Twin Oaks Landfill. The landfill requires connectivity for phones and computers from its site to the city network. The item will also require the approval of the Bryan City Council, which is a partner in the landfill.
* Heard from the Historic Preservation Committee regarding the city's 75th birthday on Oct. 19, 2013. Committee Chair Earl Apgar said the group is beginning to plan a party to celebrate the city's past and future. Apgar said committee members will be looking for partners in helping pull together a festival at Wolf Pen Creek that would include local entertainers, booths, bands and barbecue.
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