Beaumont City Council today voted unanimously to deny a rate increase requested by CenterPoint Energy Resources Corporation.

“On July 2, 2012, CenterPoint Energy filed with the City of Beaumont and other cities in the CenterPoint Beaumont/East Texas Service Area a request to increase base rates by $8.6 million annually,” City Manager Kyle Hayes said.

The city council suspended the effective date of the increase in July, placing the effective date of the increase on November 4.

“Since that time, the consulting experts retained by the cities to review the request have done so and are now recommending that the increase be denied,” Hayes said.  “It is the position of the city’s steering committee to accept the recommendation of the consulting attorney and other retained consulting experts that the rate increase be denied.”

The city council voted to grant a specific use permit to TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP for construction of a portion of a 36-inch crude oil pipeline that will bring oil from Cushing, Oklahoma to Nederland.

The city council voted to approve a $240,000 agreement with CDM Smith, Inc. of Houston to manage the city’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit.

The city council voted to pay dues of $43,233 to the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission for FY2013.

“The City of Beaumont supports the SETRPC and the community projects they perform,” Hayes said.  “Some of the programs these dues will fund are the Criminal Justice Program, the Area Agency on Aging Program, the Homeless Coalition, the Foster Grandparents Program, and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.”

The city council voted to approve a memorandum of understanding with the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission to provide emergency notifications through the commission’s regional notification system.

The city will be allowed to utilize the emergency notification system with a cost match of $15,277 per year in 2013 and 2014.

The city council voted to accept $82,131 in funding through the Department of Homeland Security Grant Program.

“This grant incorporates two programs, a general first responder program and a program dedicated specifically to law enforcement,” Hayes said.  “The City of Beaumont was awarded $60,631.64 under the first responder program, which is intended to replace approximately 13 obsolete mobile data computers, and $21,500 under the law enforcement program, which is intended to purchase one mobile fingerprint scanner to help with field identifications and to replace one obsolete mobile data computer.”

All other items were approved.  All votes were unanimous with all members present.  Agenda