NOVEMBER - YEAR IN REVIEW

CITY, MEAN DISPUTE GOING TO STATE SUPREME COURT

City of Sidney’s dispute with energy-provider MEAN (Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska) is going to the state supreme court, J. Leef, city attorney, informed the city council on Nov. 24. “This is not something that often comes up,” Leef remarked.

The city’s dispute with MEAN is over increased transmission rates.

Ed Sadler, city manager, said these increases will cost Sidney taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

“We had an agreement,” Sadler said. “You pay for two things. You’re paying for energy and transmission. It’s got to get to you somehow.”

MEAN, however, changed this agreement.

“They were supposed to notify us by our contract and get our permission to do this. They did not,” Sadler said. “In simple terms, the net difference is hundreds of thousands of dollars of years.”

The city argues there is “no reason the original transmission agreement had to stop.”

“They’re supposed to be looking out for ‘my’ best interests. ‘I’ am one of their customers,” he said. “We think they should have consulted with us. There’s no reason Sidney should have incurred this additional cost. And so, we’re fighting it.”

This summer, Sidney won the dispute through arbitration “overwhelmingly.”

The dispute is expected to go before the state supreme court in January.