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Ted Wright -- last update 8/6/2005 (GasTownHallAug4.html) www.cvilleok.com
Copyright 2005 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma

3rd Town Hall Meeting August 4, 2005 ONG Speculates on Collinsville Gas Customer Costs

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A group of about 25 gathered at the Library Thursday (Aug. 4th) for the third and final "Town Hall Meeting" called by the "Citizens for Reliable Gas". ONG representative Scott Shepherd presented a set of charts to respond to those shown at the Aug. 1st City Commission meeting. The ONG charts used figures from the City's charts and speculated on a rate structure for Collinsville based on a sample Mannford rate and a $7/dekatherm base gas cost. An "average" Collinsville customer using 72.9 dekatherms for a year was used to compare possible bills paid if ONG or the City was providing the gas.

The results of that scenario (according to this ONG calculation) shows customers paying $95 more over a year to Collinsville than if ONG kept the system. I am not sure how that squares with the City's stated plan to charge the customer "the same or less than ONG". The chart near the bottom of the page was referenced outside the ONG presentation and shows what I assumed was a Mannford rate of $16.50 for 1st dekatherm + $11.50 for each dekatherm after the 1st each month compared to an ONG payment sample.

Received via email 1:55pm Friday 8/5
from Scott Shepherd.

Assumptions:
* Mannford rates used for Collinsville
* $7.00 per dekatherm gas cost for both examples
* Average consumption used
* All taxes excluded

A Personal View

I don't claim to understand how either side of this issue derived their numbers and the likelyhood of either being realistic. The City has clearly stated their intent of not charging more than ONG and still being able to make a profit. ONG follows those numbers with charts that immediately shows Collinsville charging more than ONG's rate (in high usage months) but no clear explanation of why that "happened". So, in my case at least, I am still left with the decision of which side is presenting "representative" numbers that apply to the most voters over the long term.

In studying my own ONG gas bills (at both a home and a business) over the past few years, I was unable to find an "average bill" which would be "representative" for me. I have no complaints with ONG service. They have set brand new meters at my home and residence in the past year and responded to a call to help locate a gas leak within my building last fall. I do believe ONG has been making a "healthy profit" on providing my gas in the past. Even if the ONG scenario (above) proved to be realistic and I had to pay a few more dollars to the City of Collinsville in high usage months (for some reason), I think we (the City of Collinsville) would still be better off over the next 25 years keeping those expenditures within the city and reinvested here rather than outside Collinsville. -- Ted Wright -- August 5, 2005

If you are interested in more of my rational (before the numbers were released) look at TulsaToday.com (not the "electioneering" story which I disagree with as being a valid concern in this election, but the story lower down on the page).

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