Meadowtown council hears appeals over request to extend power beyond town limits

Meadowtown — The town council spent a major portion of its public-comment period and the next agenda item hearing appeals about whether to provide electrical service outside town limits to a property associated with Ryan Mundy.

Resident Lloyd told the council it should not extend town power to property owners outside Meadowtown, arguing that elected officials represent town residents and that allowing outside service would be unfair to other people who were denied the same request. "If you give away the power to Ryan, you're discriminating...because you've already denied other people the same thing," Lloyd said.

At the meeting, Zane read from earlier minutes and said, "As an ordinance read right now, it's not allowed to provide power outside town," citing past council action and an ordinance number mentioned in the discussion. Several commenters echoed concerns that allowing outside service could set a precedent and that annexation remains the normal channel for obtaining town utilities.

Dusty Mundy, speaking for Ryan Mundy, asked the council to reconsider and to allow outside electrical service. Dusty said things can change and urged the council to think more about the request, adding, "We'd like to vote. We'd like you to think more about it." He also told council members he believed counsel had suggested bringing the power from the metal power line would be safer than other approaches.

Council members and residents repeatedly referenced the town's ordinances and annexation policy during the discussion; board members noted that, under current rules, a change to allow outside service would require a formal amendment to the ordinance and a public hearing before any policy change could be adopted. No ordinance amendment or vote to change the rule occurred at the meeting.

The council did not take a formal vote on granting outside electrical service at this meeting. The item remains on the agenda for future consideration, and council members directed staff to follow standard ordinance-change procedures, including scheduling a public hearing if they pursue revisions.