Council Recap for August 19th, 2025
City Council met at the Community Center on August 19, 2025, at 7pm, in regular session. Present were Casey Simoneau, Mayor; Susan Pitts, Council President; Cory Venable; Scott Lauridsen; and Jay King. Council Member Julie Constantinescu was absent.
Mayor Simoneau called the meeting to order.
Consent Agenda, Public Comment, & Property Sale
- The council approved the consent agenda, consisting of the minutes from the August 5th Council Meeting, the monthly receipts, and a change to the Baldwin City Fashion Show special event application, without opposition or comment.
- There was no public comment for items not on the agenda.
- They also authorized Mayor Simoneau to sign the deed for the sale of the old motel property.
Electric Rate Ordinance Correction
- A previous rate increase aimed to raise revenue by 10%, but the ordinance Council approved at the July 15 meeting was writtten incorrectly, causing residents to see a 10% rate increase on July usage, from $0.1400 to $0.1540.
- Two options were considered to fix this:
- Option 1: A one time $13 credit on August bills, and adjust the rate to $0.1450/kWh.
- Option 2 (Approved 4-0): Lower the electric rate more significantly over the next 5 months to gradually refund the overcharge, setting the rate at $0.1411/kWh.
- The council chose Option 2, believing it would benefit residents more over time.
Solar Ordinance Update
- State law has changed regarding how cities must handle solar energy and net metering.
- Key changes:
- Cities must credit customers for all excess solar energy sent back to the grid.
- There are now rules for how large a solar system can be, based on past energy usage or building size.
- The council discussed how to proceed in order to come into compliance.
- A resident’s solar application is pending; council and staff agreed to work quickly to resolve the issue legally and fairly.
- Staff will prepare new ordinance options for the next meeting.
Committee Reports
- Budget & Finance: Focused on fixing the electric rate ordinance. Next meeting is August 29.
- Community Development: Discussed food truck regulations with Douglas County officials. Next meeting is September 22.
- Public Safety: Proposed fines for marijuana offenses:
- 1st offense: $100 + fees
- 2nd offense: $200 + fees
- 3rd offense: Felony
- Next meeting: September 9
- Public Works: Awaiting next meeting date.
- Strategic Planning: No recent meetings, but plans to improve community transparency are in progress.
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Transparency & Community Engagement
- Council members acknowledged that residents felt uninformed about recent decisions.
- They committed to improving communication and transparency, including better outreach and clearer information sharing.
Executive Session
The council entered a closed session to discuss non-elected personnel matters and legal issues.
