Propane approved for use within St Joseph limits

A decision was made which will allow citizens living within municipal limits to purchase and use propane for basic household needs at the Town of St Joseph’s regular public meeting Aug. 17.
Mayor Edward Brown previously stated that he was “reluctant to recommend” the Proposed Ordinance #15-326, upon which the aldermen voted 3 to 2, with aldermen Aaron Staves and Jerry Newman voting against the proposed ordinance.
The proposed ordinance, which was introduced by the board on May 11, 2015, permits the use of propane for basic needs such as heating, cooking, and sanitation.
The proposal further states that natural gas is the current source of fuel for the town, however flow was interrupted by a court order after issues with Locust Ridge Gas Company. The interruption caused a hardship for citizens and for businesses located in St Joseph. This ordinance gives residential and business customers an alternate source of fuel to prevent any possible future interruptions.
When asked by a citizen present at the meeting what the liability would be for the town, Mayor Ed Brown simply stated “There’s no liability on the town”.
“Natural gas is a commodity which keeps this town afloat”, stated Brown. “Natural gas was always used to subsidize other commodities. Water, sewer, etc. I know there were a few disgruntled customers. That came to light when the natural gas was turned off in St Joseph. I don’t think that it had to do with the price of natural gas.”
Mayor Brown also added, “We’ve been fighting for several years now to reduce the price of natural gas. Right now, we’re in a position where the natural gas company is taking something that belongs to the citizens. I say taking something, he’s using it as if it’s his own personal line, and that’s that natural gas pipeline that runs the gas from Lake St. John. That gas line is actually owned by the two towns, Newellton and St Joe. No one has the right to do what has been done, so it may not be in my lifetime, but its coming up again.”
As citizens make the decision whether to convert to propane, they should keep in mind not only costs, but other factors as well. The initial cost of conversion would include bringing supply piping and valves to code, then converting appliances. There is more work and cost involved in the conversion of water heaters and furnaces versus appliances such as ranges and stoves. Also included in costs would be installation and rent charges for the use of the propane tank. Price wise, converting to propane would ultimately vary from home to home.
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