(AUBURN) - The Auburn Common Council has postponed a decision on whether the city's electric utility should opt out of oversight by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
Council members voted 6-0 Tuesday to continue a public hearing on the issue until their July 7 meeting. Councilman Jim Finchum was absent.
Former Auburn Mayor Norm Yoder spoke during the hearing, saying he supports opting out of IURC regulation because it could save ratepayers money and allow the utility to respond more quickly to changing needs.
At the same time, Yoder urged city officials to establish an independent utility advisory board to provide oversight if the city leaves IURC regulation.
Mayor Dave Clark said similar boards exist in other communities, including Columbia City, where members review utility rates, charges and cost-of-service studies.
Clark said that if Auburn opts out, residents would have 60 days to gather signatures seeking a referendum. If enough signatures are collected, the issue would appear on the November ballot. If no petition is filed, the city would notify the IURC of its intent to leave regulation.
No one spoke in opposition to the proposal during Tuesday's hearing.
In other business, the council approved creation of a fund for the Auburn Fire Department's cadet program, authorized the sale of city-owned property at 213 East 12th Street to the DeKalb County Fair Association for $1, and approved a resolution governing the distribution of certain vehicle excise tax and financial institution tax revenues.