BROOKVILLE — City manager Sonja Keaton provided council with additional information as to why the Miami Valley Communications Council will attempt to secure a natural gas provider at a date later than originally planned.

Keaton had previously informed council Palmer Energy, of Toledo, the company working with MVCC in securing the best possible natural gas rates, recently sent a request for proposal for natural gas rates, but only received response from one supplier.

“The request for proposal was sent to 13 certified retail natural gas service providers.

Archer Energy was the sole responding supplier,” Keaton said at the Aug. 15 council meeting.

“I recently attended a natural gas aggregation meeting at the Miami Valley Communications Council where Palmer Energy gave a brief presentation to MVCC communities on why they recommend not accepting the Archer Energy proposal and to reissue a natural gas request for proposal in late November,” Keaton said at the Sept. 5 council meeting.

Keaton said Palmer Energy’s recommendation was based on several items.

“Archer Energy was the sole responding supplier with rates in the low- to mid-$6 per MCF (1,000 cubic feet) depending on term length,” Keaton said.

Keaton indicated Palmer Energy was concerned with locking in at that rate for two winters.

Keaton said another reason cited by Palmer Energy is one supplier made specific offers of different terms.

Keaton said a third reason was the underground gas storage levels are up with total storage heading into winter expecting to be near record levels.

“Those communities that were in attendance at the meeting voted to issue a request for proposal in November with responses due in January of 2024 and the hope of entering into a contract in May of 2024,” Keaton said.

In other matters, Keaton announced Metronet has completed construction of its fiber-optic network in the city.

Metronet began construction of the fiber network in the city in September of 2021.

With the completion of the fiber network system, Brookville becomes one of Ohio’s newest Gigabit Cities.

Metronet, located in Evansville, Ind., is the nation’s largest independently owned, 100 percent fiber-optic company.

Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].