Mack Steffen, Independent Candidate for Jasper mayor, announces he is against the proposed biomass plant

Thank-you for including me in the conversations on the matters of the proposed bio-mass plant and the clean air ordinance proposal. I am vehemently opposed to the city’s current biomass plant proposal. There are way too many unanswered questions for the city officials and the people of Jasper and Dubois county to make an educated…

A Position Paper on the Conversion of the Jasper Municipal Electric Plant to Natural Gas/Biomass

Written by Terry Seitz June 24, 2011 As a candidate for Mayor of Jasper in the May primary campaign, I advocated for the negotiation process between the city and its prospective partner on the municipal power plant conversion, Twisted Oak LLC. My reason was so the public could be better informed. Having gleaned much from…

The Jasper Clean Energy Center: How did we get here, and why?

In light of the current debate regarding the proposed Jasper Clean Energy Center (JCEC), it may be helpful to understand the history of the Jasper Power Plant and the sequence of events that led the City of Jasper and the Jasper Municipal Utility Service Board (JMUSB) to consider alternative uses for the Jasper Power Plant….

Jasper Utility Service Board explains the lease; Breedlove looking for Dioxin answer; Kreilein debunks data

Monday’s Utility Service Board meeting released information concerning the lease negotiations between the City of Jasper and Twisted Oak Corp. The announcement: It was standing room only as the meeting began with an announcement from Chairman Wayne Schuetter. “During Friday we were involved in negotiations from 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening…

Natural gas rate hike coming in October’s statement for Jasper residents

The Jasper Utility Service Board announced a rate hike would go into effect on October’s billing statement. The last hike was in 1995 and a gas rate study was conducted in 2003. At that time the study recommended a 1.5% increase but the Utility Service Board declined to increase rates. As the economy has become…

Election Board sends Library bond question on to Department of Local Government Finance for wording approval

The County Election Board conducted their monthly meeting today. Among the items on the agenda was the question of the ballot wording  for the library bond that voters in Bainbridge and Madison Townships will vote on in November. The wording on the ballot has to go through several stages to be approved and may require…

I will move my practice if this agreement is approved by my city government

Our Utility recently published in its own newsletter: “If negotiations between TOC and the city go through, it is expected that the plant will become operational in December 2013.” and “We’ve found research that the emissions particulates will stay in the boiler.” (Bud Hauersperger, no research reference noted). Yet Catasein stated in April (http://washtimesherald.com/statenews/x1540196696/Southern-Indiana-city-faces-opposition-to-biomass-plant/print) particulate…