Town to pay unbilled BPA charges

The federal corporation that sells the town of Coulee Dam its electricity underbilled the town in the past and now wants the municipal utlity to pay up.

Coulee Dam’s town council approved a plan Wednesday to pay Bonneville Power Administration for “undercharging” for electric power over the past few years.

Mayor Greg Wilder asked the council for its agreement for him to sign off on paying the BPA back some $47,000 for undercharging since 2012 for providing electricity to the town. He said that the two parties had agreed to pay the amount off in three monthly payments.

The undercharging was discovered early this year and the town has been negotiating a solution for the past few months.

The town will get 90 days to cover the undercharging amount. Town Clerk/Treasurer Stefanie Bowden told the council that she thought the amount could be paid back through the town’s regular cash flow and that it wouldn’t be necessary to do a budget amendment for the money.

Wilder said the agreement calls for the town to pay BPA back within 90 days and no interest will be charged.

One person in the audience asked Wilder if anything was being done to get BPA to modernize its electric delivery system.

Public works director Barry Peacock stated that there were discussions going on about that.