Electricity Aggregation: What's Next for Frankfort?

It's been just a little more than two weeks since .

But preparations are already being made by village officials to move the process into high speed. At the meeting April 2, Village Administrator Jerry Ducay told trustees that ComEd and village staffers were going over a preliminary list of accounts to make sure they're within Frankfort boundaries.

READ: Want More Background on Electricity Aggregation in Frankfort? Patch Has a Page to Answer All Your Questions

So what's next after that?

Frankfort Patch spoke with Ducay and Mayor Jim Holland this week to go over the tentative timeline and flesh out what's involved each step of the way.

Step 1: Picking a Program

The first decision the village needs to make will concern how it pursues aggregation. There are two options on the table:

• Stay independent and negotiate a rate for Frankfort residents and small businesses

Of course, each option has its pros and cons. Going it alone allows a certain amount autonomy for the village. But that also means added staff time and legal fees to take care of finding an energy broker and seeking bids, Ducay said. As part of the league, that time and those resources used to choose a provider would be taken on by the consortium, he added.

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"(Joining the league) would be simpler for our staff, which would be less expensive for the people of Frankfort," Holland said.

In theory, the league also would be able to negotiate a lower rate than the village could on its own, Ducay said, adding that the large volume of residents the league would represent gives it more buying power. In fact, the league already has a broker, Texas-based DaCott Energy.

"(The league has) negotiated probably the lowest rate that any single community could do for a broker," Holland said. "And this broker seems confident that he could get the best deal possible."

Being part of a group does mean the village only gets one vote on decisions and must follow the rule of the majority, Ducay said. But village officials have been encouraged to see that league members seem to be on the same page as Frankfort representatives, he added. For instance, Holland has been vocal on the idea that municipalities shouldn't generate revenue from aggregation, Ducay said. And it's a point that the league has supported by adopting an ethics clause to the agreement.

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"Our public is expected to get a benefit," Holland said. "Whatever this is, it needs to go to the people. That's where we want everything to go, instead of wanting to put a hidden tax in there."

Also, there is no penalty if a municipality decides to leave the group after joining, Ducay said. But he added that it's good form to honor the length of the agreement, which is expected to be one to two years.

The village's Departmental Operations Committee will discuss which direction to take at its next meeting Wednesday, April 16.

Step 2: Talking to the Public

Once a direction is chosen, the village then will hold two public hearings, probably in late April and late May, Ducay said. The hearings, , will allow village officials to go over the finer points of electricity aggregation and give residents a chance to ask questions.

Residents also will be able to attend hearings held by the county around the same time, Ducay said.

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Although the village isn't required to hold these hearings, Holland says it's important not only to inform residents about what's going on, but to maintain transparency throughout the entire process.

"Any place that we can, any time that we can, to be open and honest with the public and build some trust of basic government, we should," he said. "Frankly, I'm going to do whatever I can to say that government should be of the people and for the people. It's up to us to do the best we can to make sure it's all done properly and for the benefit of residents."

Step 3: The Final Stages

Things begin moving faster after the hearings. Bidding for an electricity provider will begin some time in June, and residents will be notified by ComEd of their ability to opt out of the aggregation program by the end of June or early July, Ducay said.

The switchover to a new provider could happen as soon as early August but could run into early fall, he said.

YOUR TURN! What questions do you have about the process? Have you decided if you'll opt out of aggregation? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.