City Council considers modification of city’s natural gas purchasing policy on Wednesday

The Susanville City Council meets at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the City Council Chambers, 66 N. Lassen St., and the city will consider modifications to is natural gas purchasing policy.

According to the agenda item, “Following extremely high wholesale natural gas prices during Winter of 2022/23, the city council approved a long-term natural gas purchase policy by Resolution 23-6164, dated Aug. 2, 2023, then amended Sept. 18, 2024, by Resolution 24-6361. The 2024 amendment reduced the purchase quantities from 100 percent of winter requirements to 80 percent. The main purpose of the natural gas purchase policy is to purchase natural gas ahead of each winter to protect ratepayers from wholesale price volatility.”

If approved, “The ‘Natural Gas Purchase Policy’ shall become the ‘Natural Gas Enterprise Policy’ to encompass other aspects of natural gas operations within the city. The Natural Gas Enterprise Policy is attached hereto. The policy is amended with the following substantive changes: a. Purchases for each winter are no longer mandated to be made over the three proceeding winters, but must still be made prior to Nov. 1 of each year. b. Volumes for the shoulder months of November and March shall be based 100 percent of the five-year low rather than 80 percent of the three-year average.”

Other items on the agenda
Closed session
The council meets at 4:30 p.m. in closed session to discuss public employment of the public safety chief, the city manager and an evaluation of the acting city manager.

Open session
The council returns to open session at 5 p.m. Items on the agenda include Business from the Floor (public comment); the Consent Calendar (minutes of the Aug. 6 meeting, vendor and payroll warrants and Resolution No. 26-6562 approving a side-letter agreement with the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 Firefighters Unit).

New business
The council considers Resolution No. 26-6564 modifying the city’s Natural Gas Purchasing Policy and Resolution No. 26-8585 implementing the Natural Gas Greenhouse Gas Reduction Cap and Invest Program.

Continuing business
The council will discuss emergency work at Well 3 on Johnstonville Road.

Next meeting
The council’s next meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept 2,

Here’s the agenda packet.