LISBON — Lisbon Village Council agreed this week to go forward with an electric aggregation proposal to try to get a cheaper rate for residents than what Ohio Edison is currently charging.

“Now we just have to work out the details,” Mayor Peter Wilson said.

He’s expecting the electric aggregation to go into effect sometime in September or October, once they work out the agreement with Trebel Aggregation. He said rates are changing on a daily basis.

“The advantages outweigh the disadvantages,” Wilson said.

Larry Taylor of Trebel Aggregation attended the last meeting in June to discuss the company’s program, which gives residents not already locked in with a provider an opportunity to receive an opt out letter. If they do nothing, they become part of the program. If they don’t want to be part of the program, they can opt out.

With an opt-out electric aggregation program, the village would select a company to make a deal on behalf of village residents for one fixed rate for a set number of years. Taylor said previously that he couldn’t really tell them what the best rate would be since they would need to shop around. At that meeting, he said the current going rate was .065 per kilowatt hour, which is cheaper than Ohio Edison’s rate, which just increased to .1239 per kilowatt hour.

“First and foremost, it will reduce our rates,” Wilson said, telling council on Tuesday that it’s a plan worth considering.

Councilwoman Melissa Hiner said she agreed, saying it would be beneficial to people. She explained that residents already under a contract for a provider won’t be affected and won’t be contacted with an opt out letter. Some residents, though, have Ohio Edison as their provider or supplier and probably noticed a jump in their latest bills because of the rate increase.

Wilson said people will still receive their bill from Ohio Edison, that’s who they’ll call if their power goes out and if on a payment plan known as a PIP, they’ll remain on that plan. The electric aggregation doesn’t affect any of that.

Councilman Jerry Cox questioned if the aggregation would have any effect on the proposal for solar structures on village properties, with the mayor replying it would not. The village is locked in on a different deal. Hiner said this would only affect the residents not already signed up with a different provider than Ohio Edison.

In other business, council approved first reading of the village payroll ordinance which was discussed during a recent Finance Committee meeting. Hiner, who chairs the committee, said village employees across the board will receive a 3.5 percent wage increase. The cost of the raises to the general fund will be $48,500, $35,200 for the water department and $8,100 for the cemetery workers. The ordinance requires two more readings for passage.

Council approved spending up to $75,493 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase a used 2019 Chevy Silverado MD dump truck with plow and spreader and four-wheel drive. Cox said the truck has 23,000 mils on it and the cost of a new truck would cost in excess of $123,000. Street Foreman Jim Oliver said it’s a good deal.

Council also approved spending up to $31,000 for a 2005 Freightliner bucket truck. Cox said it’s an Ohio Edison truck and the maintenance was good. The truck has 125,000 miles on it, but the village’s current bucket truck is not good.

Hiner gave her fellow council members some information about GovDeals.com, a website used by governments to auction off equipment, suggesting it be used to sell the fire department’s used Chevy Suburban. She said the village wouldn’t have to do anything and the village would be out nothing. The city of Salem has used the auction site to sell vehicles in the past, including a ladder truck from the fire department.

In personnel matters, council accepted the resignation of full-time police officer Dylan Sinkovich and hired new part-time police officer Samantha Wolfe of Salem. Chief Mike Abraham said Wolfe had been working part-time for the Perry Township Police Department. Also hired was lifeguard Olivia May.

Council approved the purchase of cutting edges fo the snow plows for $2,161 and the purchase of a spot mirror at South Lincoln Avenue and Washington Street for $650. A free swim day was announced as Aug. 19 at the Sadie Van Fossen pool courtesy of Almost Perfect Foundation and Resale.

Gene Krotky of the village cemetery board invited council members and village officials to help out with parking for the Columbiana County Fair on cemetery grounds. The cemetery board accepts $5 donations per car starting at 3 p.m. with entrances off of Pine Street and near the cemetery office. She said the cemetery board raises normally raises $3,000 to $4,000 per year.

Bill Hoover of the village Board of Public Affairs reported hydrant flushing was completed and now the water department will be exercising valves. Leak Seekers will be around, too, looking for any leaks. He said the village lent out the vac truck with a person to the village of Leetonia for a sewer blockage at a fee of $175 per hours over a couple of days.

mgreier@mojonews.com