It was unusual from the start – a special public meeting of the Peabody Municipal Light Commission at 10am on a Friday with the 2025 Budget the only item on the agenda.
On a clear, sunny, autumn morning on Buxton Hill, we were pleasantly surprised when entering the room to see that bannisters had been installed recently at the two stairways leading beyond the stage. A ratepayer complained last month about the lack of handicap access in the McCarthy Auditorium.
Things were looking up. Maybe we had turned a corner in the transparency game and we’d start sharing information. Instead, we had fireworks as to why they wouldn’t share a copy of the proposed budget to be discussed, nor the amount of the 2025 budget.
All five commissioners were present. We got the news that PMLP reached a million dollars in sales this year, making it third in Massachusetts, and a quick Budget Action Plan summary. Then the Commission voted, unanimously, without raising any questions, to approve next year’s PMLP budget. At the time of the vote, the commissioners knew the total amount was $91 million, but would not share the budget number with the public.
“How can you approve a budget to be paid for with public funds and not even tell the public how much it is?,” asked BCNS.
Eventually, the numbers were announced – after asking the female reporter several times “will it make you happy?”
Manager Joe Anastasia begrudingly shared the amounts : Expenses of $80,609,000 and $11,382,930 in Capital expenses.
Anastasia also outlined a summary of Action Plans connected with the budget. He called IUI “the number one thing we can do to help our customers.” IUI helps ratepayers to invest in state-of-the-art technology for their home – “without taking on debt, no credit checks, no matter if you’re a renter, and no matter if you are to move soon. The consumers’ obligation is paying a monthly tariff that sums to no more than the savings in energy costs afforded by the new measures.” IUI, Inclusive Utility Investments, is a program of CET, https://www.cetonline.org/iui/ .
Other Action Plans related to the PMLP 2025 budget include:
- Continued building renovations
- An onsite battery energy storage facility that will shave peak power
- Critical infrastructure updates
- Continued Cyber Security efforts
- Ongoing power contracts to improve the city’s carbon free presence, PMLP initiated three such contracts in 2024.
Anastasi said that he would provide a copy of the approved budget as soon as it is prepared. Chairman Raymond Melvin said the budget would not be provided until it is finalized – likely at their November meeting (11/12) .
You may watch video from this morning’s budget meeting courtesy of BCNS and PAT volunteer Ron Smoller. Peabody TV (peabodytv.org) will post the Commission’s full meeting next week on cable access.
