The kickoff meeting to launch a feasibility study for creating a city-run electric utility will be held in the third week of September.
City Manager Doug Schulze told the city council Tuesday that the initial meeting is planned for mid-September.
The notion to create a city owned and managed electric utility by taking over the assets of Puget Sound Energy on Bainbridge — most likely through a condemnation action and court fight — has been highly controversial since its proposal last year.
Supporters of the new city utility have said it would be run as a non-profit, and would provide most of its power from sources other than coal or fossil fuel power plants.
Critics of the idea claim a city takeover of PSE’s infrastructure on the island would be a costly gamble, and have noted the city’s past problems with managing its already existing water and sewer utilities.
Last month, the Bainbridge council voted 5-2 to award a $99,300 contract with the consultant company of D. Hittle & Associates to prepare a feasibility study on a city utility.
Island Power, the group promoting the idea of a city electric company, had earlier hoped for the study to be completed in time to put a measure on the November ballot for voters to approve the creation of the new utility.
That timeline has slipped, however, with the staggered start to the feasibility study.
Island Power has also formed a political action committee to raise money for the eventual vote on the measure, and is currently seeking donations on its website.
It has raised $5,698 in cash donations through the first week of June, according to records on file with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission, the state agency that serves as a watchdog on campaign financing.
At this week’s council meeting, Schulze told the council the first meeting for the feasibility study would be set after he made sure members of the city’s Electric Municipalization Task Force could attend.
“I’ve been working with task force members to make sure that they’re available and able to attend that kickoff meeting,” Schulze said.
The city later announced the launch of the study would happen at the task force’s meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15. The two-hour meeting will be held in council chambers at city hall.
In its initial proposal, D. Hittle estimated that it would take the firm approximately two months to come up with its initial results and a draft report, with a final report coming three weeks later.
The D. Hittle report is expected to provide cost estimates for the creation of a city-run electric company, as well as revenue projections and options for financing the takeover of PSE’s infrastructure on the island.
The Lynwood-based consultant has done similar studies for Thurston County, Port Townsend and cities in Oregon.
