Brighton sets Oct. 20 hearing on gas rates

The city of Brighton is looking into an increase in rates for Brighton Municipal Gas customers.

The Brighton City Council set an Oct. 20 public hearing on the rate hike. The hearing was set at an Oct. 1 special council meeting.

Following the hearing, the council will vote on the first reading of the ordinance pertaining to gas rates.

'It'll take three readings,” Brighton Mayor Melvin Rich said. 'If it passes, we'll have the other two readings in November before it can take effect.”

During a September special council meeting, Rich, along with three council members, met with a representative from Clayton Energy, the city's gas supplier, to discuss gas rates.

'We had some council members who had questions regarding costs like transportation costs,” Rich said.

A draft of the proposed ordinance says that the new base gas rate will be $4.9343 per MCF (1,000 cubic feet of natural gas used), along with a $10 per month meter charge. The current rate is $3.9343 per MCF.

Rich explained that the city's gas rates fluctuate month to month.

'We have a little bit of variance in the rate,” Rich said. 'We buy gas from Clayton Energy, and the rate we charge is based on the rate we pay.”

The city already raised water and sewer rates in August to help cover the cost of a new sewage treatment plant mandated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.