The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1950-09-28
UTILITY ASKS TO
Make SURVEY OF.
MUNICIPAL PLANT
Any Offer to Buy Bluffton's
Light Plant Would Depend
Upon Survey
Council and Board of Public
Affairs Withhold Answer
to Proposal

Major decision on the future of
Buttons electric light plant
whether it will continue to be oper-
ated as a municipal enterprise or
taken over by private utility-is
expected as the outcome of proposed
negotiations between the town and
the Central Ohio Light and Power
company which operates the Wood
cock generating station here.
At three-party meeting of the
town council, board of public af-
fairs and representatives of the
utility company held in the American
Legion hall, Monday night the cor
poration formally requested permis-
sion to make a survey of the muni-
cipal plant and current distribution
facilities preparatory to making an
offer to purchase the property.
Answer to the request will be
made jointly by the council and
board of public affairs. When reply
would be Forthcoming could not be
determined following Monday nights
meeting, however, it was stated in
informed quarters that no answer
will be made before the regular
monthly meeting of the board of
public affairs next Tuesday night.
MUNICIPAL PLANT SERVES Town
Although the Woodcock station,
chief source of power supply for
the Central Ohio utility is located
within the towns corporate limits,
the company has never supplied cur
rent for local consumption, the serv-
ice having been given by the NUM-
.cipal plant.
Before the utility could supply
current locally it would be necessary
to obtain a franchise from the town
council. Although the sale OF the
municipal plant to the utility has
been informally discussed since the
generating plant was located here
some 13 years ago, this is the first
time a formal move has been made
in that direction.
Present at Monday nights meet
ing were:
Councilmen: Edwin Badertscher,
William Gaiffe, Clay Henderson,
Donald Ream, Everett Sutermeister
and Frank Todd.
Board of Public Affairs: Harvey
Beidler. Joel kimmel and Forrest
Steinman.
Mayor w. A. Howe was also pres
ent. Absent was John Swlsher,
superintendent of the municipal
plant who is patient in Bluffton
hospital following a heart attack.
Representing the Central Ohio
company were vice presidents, Harry
GRAY and Paul Martinka, together
with John Sawtell, engineering COM
sultant, all of Findlay. Gray pre-
sided at the meeting and presented
the company's proposal.
ASKS SURVEY OF PLANT
The proposed survey, he explained,
would not obligate the town in the
matter of sale of the plant. How
ever, this he said, would be neces-
sary to establish a basis for any
offer to purchase.
Before any deal could be con-
summated, however, it would be ne
cessary to advertise for bids in ord
er to put the sale on competitive
basis, Gray stated. A question was
raised at this point as to whether
any other utility would be III SUI
ficiently advantageous position to
enter bid, pointing up the possi-
bility that there might be only one
bidder. Gray replied that at Spen-
ceryille where the Central Ohio pur-
chased the municipal plant last
spring there was one other bidder
besides themselves.
While declining to name any figure
for the Bluffton plant, Gray said
that his company paid S214,752 for
the spencerville plant serving 900
patrons. Buttons plant serves
about 1,200 accounts, it was estimat-
ed by Donivan Augsburger, clerk of
the board of public affairs.
Gray was noncommittal in refer
ence to taking over the water sys-
tenn except to say that in Spencer
vile it continued to be operated by
the municipality with current for.
pumping obtained from the utility
company.
Central Ohio's rates, he said,
would average about 20so under
those charged by the Bluffton
plant. However, there would be a
billing to the town for street light
ing, rates for which range from s12