City Council report for August 3, 2023

Financial Hardship Consideration for Ambulance Fees

The City Council approved a change in the City Code yesterday that would allow some residents to qualify for hardship reductions in their ambulance bills. Finance Director Tom Kotter explained that the reductions would be income-based, and that maximum reductions would be scaled according to income. The change was approved unanimously.

Annexation Request to Move Forward

The council also voted to approve an agreement between Brigham City and Box Elder County that would allow an annexation request to move forward. The property in question comprises 203 acres west of I-15 and between Forest Street and 800 North. It includes the future site of the Golden Spike Park at Reeder Ranch and additional property owned by Reeder Ranch. The annexation of this property would create an island of unincorporated County land, which according to the City's plan will sometime in the future also be annexed.

This approval doesn't mean the property has been annexed. It means the application can now move to the next stage. A public hearing will be scheduled and then the council will vote. Look for information about the public hearing in the newspaper, on the State public notices website, and on our website and social media.

Power Purchase Adjustment Clause (PPAC) Update

[26:05 - 45:32] Finance Director Tom Kotter spent some time reviewing the history of the PPAC and the current situation in Brigham City. He said the rate stabilization fund has recovered and that we are trending in a good direction. However, the largest bills for the City are historically for the months of July, August, and September, and we have yet to see just how much those summer bills will impact us. The PPAC surcharge has been cut roughly in half—from $0.0523/kWh to $0.025/kWh—beginning July 1, which residents will see reflected on their next bill.

There was some discussion about what would trigger a change or reduction in the PPAC surcharge, and Kotter explained it was designed to be looked at periodically and adjusted rather than having specific designated amounts in place.

More information

Watch the video of the meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RI08f6dk7I

See the agenda here: https://media.rainpos.com/1276/2023_08_03_Packet_Amended_20230802162009.pdf

This is not the official record of the meeting. Official notes will be posted at https://www.bcutah.gov/agendas-and-minutes.htm when they are available.