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Proposed bike route supported By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com A resolution of support for a proposal to develop a series of corridors crossing Ohio as numbered bicycle routes has been approved by the Lake Township trustees. The trustees approved the resolution Tuesday after hearing a presentation by Christine Connell, a transportation administration specialist with the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, who said the proposed Ohio route is part of a national corridor that links Montana to Massachusetts. In the TMACOG planning region, U.S. Bike Route 30 branches off another bike route at the Craig Memorial Bridge in Toledo to cross the Maumee River before proceeding through East Toledo to S. Ravine Parkway Drive, which becomes Seaman Road in the City of Oregon. From Seaman, it proceeds south on Wheeling Street to Brown Road, heading west to Reswick Drive and then south to Drouillard Road into the City of Northwood and then through the Village of Walbridge. The route continues south on Drouillard to Ayers Road in Lake Township, where it turns east on Ayers to Bradner Road at the edge of the Village of Millbury. There, it turns south to Latcha Road and proceeds east to Fostoria Road and then east on Hellwig Road into Ottawa County. The resolution notes that bicycle tourism contributes $47 billion a year to the economies of communities that provide facilities for those tourists. Connell said the Ohio Department of Transportation has a goal of designating a signed network of U.S. and state routes that will accommodate long distance cycling, adding the proposed routes follow an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials initiative. She noted the network isn’t a construction project but “we hope to encourage more bike riding by designating routes” with signage. The signs, she said, will be useful for alerting bicyclists to amenities such as parks, rest areas and public restrooms. Millbury Mayor Michael Timmons, who attended the trustees’ meeting, said a similar resolution will be before village council at its March 13 meeting. He said
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Q
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You only fail when you give up. Bryan Golden
See page 7
This is February? The recent unseasonably warm temperatures brought scores of people to the parks over the weekend. Pictured, Katie and Andrew Chua, Toledo, play in the sand at Maumee Bay State Park. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
Oregon OKs contract with FirstEnergy Solutions By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com Oregon City Council at its last council meeting in February approved a three year agreement with FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. to act as the city’s electricity aggregation supplier. The rate was negotiated by the Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition (NOAC), of which the city is a member. The three year term starts in June of this year to June of 2020. NOAC, on an annual basis, evaluates and makes recommendations as to whether communities should enter into agreements with managed programs. NOAC, through Palmer Energy, solicited proposals for a new supply of electricity, and at least three proposals were received. After a thorough review of each proposal, it was determined, and recommended by Palmer Energy, that the proposal of FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. be accepted as the one that would provide the most cost savings to communities that are members of NOAC. It is estimated that the contract with FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. will save the NOAC customer base about $4.5 million per year. Law Director Melissa Purpura said NOAC solicited quotes from eight energy firms for the contract, and received three proposals from Constellation Energy,
Dynegy, and FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., she said, offered the highest savings for residents and small businesses. Consumers have the option of signing up with another energy company at no cost, she said. City Administrator Mike Beazley cautioned the public about door to door salesmen trying to sign them up to a “cheaper” rate. “Any of our residents have the right to sign up with anyone they want,” said Beazley. “In the last 15 years, I’ve never been aware of anyone saving money by switching.” Mayor Mike Seferian said some energy companies have an introductory offer, but later raise the rates that cost more in the end. “It will save you money for a short time, but then is changes very fast and costs more money,” said Seferian. FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. is automatically the electric provider for NOAC communities unless consumers sign forms to “opt out” of the contract. Opt out letters will be mailed to all consumers in mid March if they do not want FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. to be their electric provider. “If you want FirstEnergy Solutions to be your provider, you do nothing,” said Seferian.
Tariff rate At the council meeting, Councilman Tim Zale asked what would happen if FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. was unable to fulfill the contract during the three year agreement. “In the event that something would happen to FirstEnergy – if the company would default – what happens to the energy rate and what happens with our source of energy if that should take place?” asked Zale. Beazley said some precautionary measures were taken by NOAC this year to protect the member communities. “We took steps with the aggregation coalition this year: In that past, the company that was providing our energy would hold our escrow account more or less. Just to make sure we protected the interests of the individual communities, we have switched the way that is held so it’s not in the hands of the company providing it for us,” said Beazley, “so we’re protected in that way. In addition, if the company was no longer able to fulfill its contract, NOAC would default to the tariff rate. “The tariff rate is not a bad rate in and of itself,” said Beazley. It’s just the regulated tariff rate. Then we would seek other options and proposals, should that take place. Those things were factored in when we looked at the proposals that came in.
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