12-13-11 - Did you ever think that Celina would be a part of another Blue Goose? Well it is, thanks to AMP-Ohio and friends. At a recent Celina City Council meeting it was announced that the Electric Department now owes $2.38 million dollars for the failed coal plant in Meigs County. This after the project “sucked” up $144 million in expenses and now guess who gets to pay for it? You and me. So I guess the Blue Goose now has a brother. WOW, can you believe it! Don’t feel to bad our neighbors in St Marys owe $2.7 million dollars. Here is something to consider - how much electric could the two communites have purchased for $5 million dollars? Answer- more then this plant will ever produce. The good news we are told is that we still own 11,000 acres of land for the project…great, how much will they now lose on that property.

I must say it is getting to be a regular surprise at the end of the year for the Citizens of Celina, last year the million dollar budget defecit and now the million dollar problem from AMP-Ohio. Again don’t feel to bad, 80 other communities fell for the new plant project. I’m sure the AMP-O leaders say that it was a “no brainer” deal, looks like they were right. AMP-Ohio’s failure rates in projects like this is higher then the Reds batting average last season. Time for the city to evaluate it’s involvement with the group and what it really costs to fund the group at the local level, yes Celina pays to be a member. AMP-Ohio member communities as a whole are a great group of municipal utilities, the corporate office leadership at AMP-O lacks in many areas. The board is made up of non-electric members from the communities (Safety Service Directors), they are wined and dined once a month in Columbus by the Columbus higher-ups. The other problem with all of this is that no one is held accountable for failures like this. But you as an electric customer always pay for it.

Ask your council members who pushed for the new plant project and who was on the board from Celina at the time. You might be surprised who it was. Who represents Celina now on the board and why we were not updated on the issues on a regular basis.

Take a look at the Athens News article from November 2009.…it pretty well sums up how this has all ended up.