PORT ANGELES — The size of the city’s Utility Advisory Committee may be expanded after a City Council member said its current setup may appear too favorable for Nippon Paper Industries USA.
Nippon, as the city’s sole industrial transmission customer, has a permanent seat on the five-member committee, which advises the council on all utility-related issues.
A former Nippon-designated representative also holds the committee’s at-large position, which prompted Port Angeles City Councilman Max Mania last month to raise questions regarding the appearance of fairness.
As a result, he proposed that the city add another position to represent the general public.
That will be considered at the council’s Tuesday, Sept. 20, meeting, when the council will meet at 6 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
Mania said in an interview Tuesday that he’s not claiming the committee is biased in the company’s favor, but he is concerned that having two members with connections to the company may be perceived poorly by the public.
‘Perception is reality’
“For a lot of people, perception is reality,” he said.
Mania also said the new position would increase public input on utility rates.
The committee is composed of three council members — Mayor Dan Di Guilio, Brooke Nelson and Cherie Kidd — and the at-large and industrial customer positions.
The industrial rate class covers the industries that maintain their own Bonneville Power Administration power lines.
Those in that class have a permanent seat on the committee.
Nippon has been the only industrial transmission customer since the Rayonier pulp mill closed in 1997.
Glenn Cutler, city public works and utilities director, said those customers were given a seat on the committee when it was formed in the 1980s because they are the largest consumers of electricity.
Nippon itself accounts for about 58 percent of the city’s energy use, he said.
Harold Norlund, mill manager, last month defended Nippon’s seat by saying it brings more diversity and knowledge to the committee.
“It’s not a conflict of interest or detriment to the city,” he told the council, noting that the Nippon representative, Paul Elliot, recuses himself from discussions involving the company.
Dean Reed, the former Nippon representative and current at-large committee member, was selected for the at-large position after he retired from the company about two years ago.
He was the only applicant at the time.
No influence
Reed said he does participate in discussions regarding Nippon-related issues, but he feels his past role with the company does not influence his input.
“My role now is to represent all other rate payers,” he said Wednesday.
“I strive to contain my comments to just that.”
Di Guilio, who chairs the committee, said in an interview last month that Reed does a good job representing the public and that he doesn’t think having two people connected to Nippon on the committee creates any conflict of interest.
“I thought the committee has been working well,” he said.
“It represents the constituents well.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.