Huntley moves head with electric power aggregation plan

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Updated: March 28, 2012 10:19PM

HUNTLEY — The Village Board has moved a step closer to being able to save residents a few dollars on their power bills.

Board members discussed a resolution that would allow the village to enter into an agreement establishing the Northern Illinois Governmental Electric Aggregation Consortium among McHenry County and 12 other towns from Genoa to Spring Grove.

Management Assistant Barb Read said the agreement is the second step in the process that will allow the village to obtain a potentially lower group rate for its electric services, providing voters approve a referendum March 20.

“If approved, the residents will be part of 308,000 households in the consortium who have combined to obtain a better rate,” Read said.

Read said if the referendum passes, public hearings will be held April 5 and 12 to help communicate the process to the residents. There will then be two opportunities to opt out of the consortium before the new rates take effect sometime in July.

The board is expected to approve the resolution at its next meeting.

In other business, trustees:

Learned village staff is in the process of updating local ordinances and received proposed new codes covering Huntley Cemetery. Village Clerk Rita McMahon said the updates allow “for the proper overall management of the cemetery.”

The cemetery holds 1,700 plots already deeded, with another 290 open plots on seven acres of land. The cemetery is planning to construct a 48-unit columbarium on the western portion of the site.

“We haven’t proposed any changes but have formalized what has been past practices,” McMahon said.

The updated codes do not apply to the privately-owned portion of the cemetery belonging to St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Huntley.

Reviewed the village’s legislative priorities as presented by the staff.

The standout items for this year were the protection of local government revenue; keeping a close watch on the economic impact of the federal health care laws soon to be put into practice; and keeping abreast of the Northwest Metra Commuter Rail project.

Requested that the staff continue to pursue grant money to help fund all types of downtown improvements.