On January 16, 2007, the Naperville City Council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 07-018 authorizing the execution of a long-term power sales contract with IMEA.
That long-term power sales contract was subsequently signed by the Mayor of Naperville and the CEO of IMEA with a date of February 6, 2007, and so began Naperville’s entanglement in coal-fired ownership with IMEA and the other IMEA members.
As described in the IMEA bylaws, IMEA was formed, under the provisions of the Illinois Joint Municipal Electric Power Act, to provide a method for its members to “jointly plan, finance, own and operate, facilities for the generation and transmission of electrical power and energy …”.
Below are a 23 minute YouTube video clip and links to the documents for agenda item N5 of that January 16, 2007 city council meeting.
NOTE: What seems to be missing from this public approval process are two very important transparency issues:
1) There are limited materials attached to this agenda item N5 for the citizens to be well-informed about the Prairie State project and the Naperville IMEA contract. The brevity of discussion by City Council members at this “open to the public” City Council meeting suggests that the City Council members were previously well-informed during the “Closed Session” of the Nov. 13, 2006 City Council Workshop. We have not found that a similar opportunity to be well-informed was provided to the citizens, including consideration of alternative options and proposals.
2) At this “open to the public” City Council meeting, Naperville stated that it would be joining IMEA in connection with the long-term power sales contract. The City failed to inform the citizens that Naperville was already a member of IMEA (a Member without a Power Sales Contract) and that Allan Poole, Public Utilities Director, had been serving as Naperville’s representative on the IMEA Board of Directors for many years. Naperville was also a member of IMEA during a 2002 Integrated Resources Planning Study, where one of the report recommendations was “pursue opportunities to partner in or purchase from a minemouth coal plant”. Naperville’s cost share for this study had been approved by City Council in 2001. See our webpage Naperville IMEA Early History Recap and Timeline for further details.
Ony 23 minutes, and just 12 minutes following the comments of the four public speakers, to consider and approve what was described in one sentence of the agenda item N5 summary as:
“The opportunity to become a member of IMEA will allow the City to share the ownership interests of IMEA’s assets and share in the costs of power with the existing members.”
Or use this link to open the “Jan 2007 Naperville IMEA Contract Approval” video.