Better Utilities and a Better City
COUNCIL VOTES TO SUPPORT UTILITY TRANSFER
Approving Vote Moves Transfer to the IURC for Final Approval
After four months of deliberation, the Indianapolis City-County Council approved by a bipartisan vote of 19 to 10 on July 26, Mayor Greg Ballard’s proposal to transfer the water and wastewater utilities to Citizens Energy Group.
“Our Council made a bold move tonight by voting in favor of the utility transfer proposal. Their support for an initiative to remove partisan politics from our water and wastewater utilities, while providing funding for a city-wide transformation should be applauded,” said Mayor Greg Ballard. “Placing our water and wastewater utilities in Citizens’ public charitable trust will ensure the utilities will be managed by professional utility operators and will create lower-than-currently-projected rates. Additionally, the transfer will provide more than $425 million to rebuild our city’s crumbing streets, bridges and sidewalks.”
The proposal was supported by fifteen Republicans, three Democrats and Libertarian Ed Coleman. With the approval of Mayor Ballard’s proposal, the Council permits the City and Citizens to file the utility transfer with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) for final review and approval, a process that is expected to take several months.
“We thank the City-County Council for their vote of confidence in Citizens Energy Group as a professional utility manager devoted to serving the community,” said Carey Lykins, president & CEO of Citizens Energy Group. “With this approval, the utility transfer moves to the last step in the process of ensuring safe, quality drinking water, lower-than-currently-projected-rates and cleaner rivers and streams. We look forward to IURC approval of this critically important solution to our community’s utility and infrastructure problems.”
The approved agreements align with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the utility transfer that was approved by the full Council on April 17, 2010. The MOU had previously been approved by the Board of Public Works and the Board of Waterworks. Before full Council approval, the Utility Transfer Oversight Committee approved the measure by a 7 to 4 vote.
Since the announcement of the MOU between the City of Indianapolis and Citizens Energy Group on March 10, 2010, Mayor Ballard, his administration and Citizens have focused on transparency to ensure the public is informed and educated on all aspects of the proposal.
Representatives from the Mayor’s Office and Citizens have held more than 60 public forums and key stakeholder meetings with groups such as the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, drinking water, stormwater and wastewater advisory groups, 100 Black Men and representatives from the building and housing industries.
Mayor Ballard’s proposal has also gained the endorsement of the following groups: Board of Public Works, Board of Waterworks, Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis, Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis Business Journal, Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of REALTORS®, the Near North Development Corporation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation Indianapolis.
For more information about the utility transfer or to submit feedback, visit www.indy.gov/utilities, log on to the FTP site, ftp://ftp.indygov.org/utilities (username: public; password: public) or call (317) 327-4MAC.
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