City staff brief Vandalia council on new 7‑year Miami Valley Lighting/AES Ohio streetlight contract

Mr. Althouse told the council that Vandalia participates in a consortium negotiating with Miami Valley Lighting LLC and DPL Energy Resources (now AES Ohio) for a proposed 7‑year streetlight maintenance contract covering 2026–2032. He said Vandalia’s total cost for the contract in 2025 was $159,437 and that the proposed new rate structure would begin with a 5.5% increase in 2026 then decline to about 2.75% in the later years of the agreement.

Althouse said the draft agreement includes revisions affecting pole coverage, installation, lighting design standards, billing and payments, meter charges, fixture inventory, maintenance procedures and a smart lighting pilot. Councilors asked about pole materials and were told replacement poles were fiberglass (not PVC).

Next steps: the contract terms were presented for council information; staff will return with formal documentation and any recommended action at a future meeting.