Savings Galore Reported by Nazareth Councilman Stoudt

Written by Jack Tobias

Lower utility bills. A generous grant to cover Hurricane Sandy costs. Lower workers’ comp premiums.

No wonder Nazareth Councilman Larry Stoudt, reporting financial matters at Thursday’s council work session, called what he had to say “good news.”

First on Stoudt’s list was energy savings. He said that since the borough switched its electricity provider about a year ago, it has saved $23,000.

Stoudt said the borough’s new provider is First Energy Services. The previous provider was Met-Ed, he said.

Borough secretary/treasurer Paul Kokolus, in an email to Patch, said it is important to note that the borough is not endorsing one energy provider over another by making its savings public.

According to a chart provided by the borough, highlights of what has been saved include:

--Traffic light at Route 191 and Walnut Street. Cost was $304. Cost now is $154. Savings, 49.2 percent.

--Council chambers. Cost was $1,335. Cost now is $746. Savings, 44 percent.

--Boro-Park. Cost was $20,049. Cost now is $11,462. Savings, 42.8 percent.

--Firehouse. Cost was $8,475. Cost now is $5,582. Savings, 34 percent.

Meanwhile, Stoudt said the borough has received $61,000 from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency for cleanup and repair costs in the aftermath of last fall’s Hurricane Sandy.

Stoudt and Bob Reimer, who runs the borough’s public works department, said the money covers 90-95 percent of what the borough needed to spend.

”We didn’t miss anything on that,” Reimer said in a sign of satisfaction regarding the PEMA contribution.

Stoudt said the borough had submitted reports to PEMA of all damage caused by Sandy and what it cost to make repairs.

In a related note, Mayor Carl Strye Jr. said he wants to have a meeting of borough officials later this month to discuss planning in case another hurricane or severe storm would strike the area this fall.

He’s hoping to gather police, fire, emergency management, highway and ambulance officials for the session.

Strye noted that he was still the president of Vigilance Hose Company No. 1 when Sandy struck last year. Strye became mayor in May, filling the unexpired term of Fred Daugherty Jr., who resigned.

Another area of cost savings listed by Stoudt was a $3,900 reduction in workers’ comp premiums.

He said the premiums have dropped because the borough ambulance corps no longer has volunteers.