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Century Purchasing New Gas Meters For $100K To Increase Revenue
August 23, 2018
The Century Town Council has approved using $100,000 to purchase new gas meters in an effort to increase revenue.
The town is projecting a loss of $214,000 during the next fiscal year as they work to determine where the gas they purchase from their supplier is going because much of it is not being billed to customers. The gas is not leaking; the town has said it’s either a problem with customer meters, meter reading or a discrepancy between the amount billed by the town’s supplier and the quantity actually delivered.
Accountant Robert Hudson recommend that the town purchase new customer gas meters using $50,000 from a Special Revenue Economic Development Account that has a $122,000 balance.
The council approved Mayor Henry Hawkin’s request for $100,000 to also purchase new commercial meters. And the town is looking to purchase a meter for about $4,000 for their “gate station” – where metered gas flows from the supplier into the town’s system — in order to verify the quantity received.
The Century Gas Department currently servers 498 customer accounts in and around the town.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Comments
20 Responses to “Century Purchasing New Gas Meters For $100K To Increase Revenue”
Here we go again! The blind leading the blind. The counsel chooses to follow a recommendation regarding GAS MEASUREMENT from an accountant. The very accountant who in past years has performed his duties so poorly. Get someone to survey the gas distribution system who KNOWS gas measurement, distribution balance and custody transfer. Let them advise the counsel. It’s simple to identify the problems if you KNOW what your doing. Its stupid to throw money at this problem and even dumber to listen to the accountant for advise on the subject. Your just digging the town in deeper
I guess everyone in a tizzy over ECUA’s insanity should count their blessings as Century’s residents gas bill will soon make our ECUA bill nothing. Century mayor and council need to read the book “How to Get Blood From Turnips” by Dewie, Cheatem & Howe, if they can afford it.
@Wondering; The voters of Century can not put the issue of dissolving the Town of Century on a ballot by petition or otherwise. . By law, the Town Council or the Fla. Legislature has to do it. What are the chances of this council that meets and loans themselves thousands of dollars at a time doing it? I guess the citizens of Century have to stand by and watch until the town is bankrupt before the legislature steps in.
The county used to be proactive with code enforcement in Century, until there was a big mess and they kinda backed per Century’s request.
Is Century supplying Pensacola Energy with free gas?
Trace the Pipeline.
Does it go from supply to customer in a closed loop or is a in tee inline and gas going elsewhere?
2-2 = 0
M in Bratt I think you are right, the councils gets insurance and a stipend I think.
On the same token looks like ECUA rates are going up and they have separate connectivity fees, so it may be a better deal for residents simply to get water and sewer from the Town.
I doubt the citizens would put it on a ballot referendum, for now.
Waiting to see what the state comes up with.
Why is the road in such bad shape on 29 southbound through there and the Welcome to Florida landscapes overgrown and junk in from yards through District five.
District Five could do well to turn attention to the entrance into Escambia County.
Seems like the County would be proactive at least there.
It doesn’t matter who at fault for all this negative attention that’s going on in Century right now, everyone has their own opinion. But I will say this if there was any chance of a new company or investor type idea for Century they are quickly making sure that doesn’t happen ,they are all responsible for not conducting themselves in a professional manner, and when that doesn’t happen they let down everyone in the community they are supposed to represent in a positive light. No business in their right mind would want to sit down at a table and even attempt to strike a deal with a difunctional mayor or council, not being rude. There’s to many options besides Century to invest in. Century is a great place I always enjoy visiting lots of good people that would invite a stranger to sit down for dinner and not let you go hungry. And those folks deserve better service. Let’s hope things change and the grant money which come from the people don’t run dry.
I am going to have a little faith here, at least they are learning a Special Fund
is for that, special, not employees so maybe this might work, not sure.
They are also citing the Charter, which in prior years it seems some were unaware of.
The state will conduct the audits, the eyes are on them.
If the town can run the sewer and water cheaper then ECUA and still, because of the incorporation, get the grants, maybe just maybe, they will keep on a bit longer.
Time will tell.
Maybe, like in the movie the Jerk..They are learning to tell the difference between “It and Shinola”
@stumpknocker that’s the way to troubleshoot anything, one step at a time. Thanks for posting that.
I would think the first thing to be purchased would be the meter that keeps count on what the supplier is delivering and the quality of the product.
The second would be to audit the bills checking back as far as they could go looking for any odd bills such as the same amount over and over or anything that would appear suspicious, then check those meters first. And look and see who’s reading the meters that look suspicious to look for possible fraud activity.
Third I would begin a check of about every third meter, an assignment that would be giving out at the beginning of the day then a second assignment for afternoon time so no one is given a heads up to conceal any fraudulent activity, only one person should know what meters are to be checked hours before it completed, and of course supervised surprise inspections. Maybe this could help. Maybe start with the least expensive things first, like Carl did in the move Sling Blade, “ ain’t got no gas in it”.
Century needs to be part of somewhere that knows what they are doing. I am finally more tired of hearing about Century than I once was hearing about Prichard. It is so annoying. I do not know how to run a town either, so I would not be doing it. Someone who knows how and is honest is badly needed there. Something is and has been really wrong up there ever since I can remember. I do not know how they are still in existence. Maybe they need to be bought by some educators and educated. It seems like nothing ever goes right there. UGH ! No, that is not totally true. Two places up there are quite good from what I have seen, and that is The Deli, and Century Care Center.
If meters are extremely old then it makes perfect sense to replace them. We all have things happening where we have to have equipment fixed or purchased, the town is no different. Answers are always easy when you are on the outside looking in. If you think you know better then run for office, reality will set in quickly.
(Retired) They are getting the money from the Guys that were caught printing it a few weeks ago.
Once again, let’s just throw money at it and see if it’s fixed. Why not pull a few meters and test them to determine if they are faulty. Check up on your meter readers too….
Let’s hope this is money well spent and it actually fixes the problem. Too bad there was not another way of testing if the meters are reaĺly the issue before comitting do spend so much money. This probably should have been done years ago.
i just don’t get it. i live on a fixed income. if something causes me to not have enough funds to pay bills or eat, something has to go.
where is the money coming from? are they printing their own?
that is a cost of around 200.00 dollars per customer, charge them for the meters
If I was selling them the meters I would demand cash upfront before they get them.
Shrewd.
So the town is loosing $430 each year per customer.
That is probably more in loss than the average customer uses.
Either the meter at the supplier is wrong, an unknown substantial leak, or customers have bypassed meters and getting free gas.
I seriously doubt 498 customers meters are defective. The meter reader person being defective is also a possibility.
This isn’t rocket science folks.
Century Mathematics mystifies me. How come every time they spend a bunch of money they are “saving money”? The rest of the world saves money when they skip some purchase, or buy something they really need when it is on sale. They have proven themselves incapable of managing a gas utility, so why not sell it to the City of Pensacola, sell the water and sewer to ECUA, and turn Century into the Community of Century rather than the City of Century. This Town Council is so busy serving themselves instead of the citizens that they would never put the question of dissolving the town on a ballot.