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Century Inks New Utility Contract With Prison System, Expects $180K Revenue Increase
December 2, 2021
The Town of Century has inked a new utility agreement for the Florida Department of Corrections’ Century Correctional Institution. The new contract is expected to boost the town’s bottom line by over $180,000 annually.
“I’m excited to say that the agreement has been finalized,” Century Mayor Ben Boutwell told NorthEscambia.com late Wednesday afternoon. “This is a really good thing for our town.”
Century has provided water, sewer and natural gas to the prison under a 2008 agreement. It’s estimated the town underbilled over $330,000 due to a faulty gas meter and the town’s failure to adjust the contract annually to match the Consumer Price Index (CPI). However, most of the underbilling is beyond a contractual two-year limitation. The town has agreed to forgive the full amount.
Billings under the new five year contract, which has a three year renewal option, are anticipated to total nearly $615,181 plus the actual cost of gas each year — $181,121 more than the 2008 contract. The new rates will be applied retroactively to March 2021.
Going forward, annual CPI increases will be added each March.
FDOC has also agreed to pay $1,120 per month to cover expenses if the town installs a “bar screen” – machinery that will keep large items like sheets out of the town’s pumps and wastewater treatment plant.
Tuesday night, the Century Town Council discussed the new contract for over two hours during a special meeting. After a sometimes heated discussion between council members, they voted 3-1 to allow Boutwell to finalize the contract. Council member Luis Gomez voted no, and Leonard White abstained from voting on the contract because he is employed by the FDOC.
The Florida Department of Corrections is Century’s largest utility customer.
Pictured top: Council member Leonard White is employed by the Florida Department of Corrections and abstained from voting on the new contract. Pictured below: Mayor Ben Boutwell listens to a lengthy council discussion. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
3 Responses to “Century Inks New Utility Contract With Prison System, Expects $180K Revenue Increase”
I agree with Mr Leonard White
Will the $180K in revenue be enough to cover all the personal undocumented loans to the board members?
I am concerned there will not be any remaining funds to waste.
Is anyone surprised that Luis Gomez voted against anything good for the town? Is anyone else surprised that Luis Gomez does not agree with anything the mayor is trying to do? We will never get this town ahead if the likes of Gomez and Henry Hawkins (who wants to be Town Manager) are allowed to be a part of the town! I am really surprised that the rest of the council did not say “yes sir” to Gomez and vote no also.