As some residents may or may not know, the entire pool deck needed to be replaced this season. The deck has been repaired over the years and due to this past winter it had deteriorated to a point of having to be replaced. The deck is original to the pool, approximately 32 years old.

We chose to pull the covers off about a month early expecting some damage but not to the extent we found. We have been working as diligently as possible to get the pool opened as quickly as possible. We originally anticipated a 7-10 day delay but due to the rain over the last month, we hope to be open on or about June 19th. Again, this is all weather permitting.

We do realize that the large pile of debris has some people questioning what is being done. To be clear, the concrete debris was staged to be hauled off site in one day. The site was cleared on May 24/2010 and we are scheduled to pour the new deck on May 28/2010. Once that is completed we will be able to drain and clean the pool, get it refilled and balanced.

The entire project was able to be completed within our existing budget with no additional special assessment required.

We will update the website as the project continues.

Take Action!  Attend and Speak Out at One of the Following Public Hearings Near YOU!!!!!!!

Akron, Monday, April 19, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

OliverR. Ocasek Government Center
161 South High Street

Toledo, Monday, April 19, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

MichaelV. Disalle Government Center

One Government Center

640 Jackson Street

Cleveland, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.

FrankJ. Lausche State Office Building

Second Floor Auditorium

615 West Superior Avenue

Garfield Heights, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

Garfield HeightsCivic Center

Lower Level, Council Chambers
5407 Turney Road

Austintown, Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

AustintownMiddle SchoolAuditorium

800 South Raccoon Road

North Ridgeville, Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

North RidgevilleEducation Center, Community Room

5490 Mills Creek Lane

Springfield, Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

SpringfieldCity Hall

City Forum – First Floor

76 East High Street   

Kirtland, Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

LakelandCommunity College

Performing Arts Theatre, D Building, First Floor

7700 Clocktower Drive

Where is the proof that the gas/electric customers have EVER subsidized the discounted rates offered to the all-electric customers?   Contrary to what First Energy is stating publicly, there is no proof that subsidies were ever charged by them. 

The discounted all electric rates were born in the mid 1970s when the electric companies heavily promoted the building of all electric homes to both home builders and consumers.  At the time, it was a wise business decision by the electric companies to increase their winter sales of electricity.  Since summer was their peak time and their electric plants were built to handle peak capacities, the winter months posed a problem for the electric companies who had to maintain high overhead costs during periods of low electricity sales. 

The solution was to dramatically increase their electricity sales in the winter time to offset their high overhead costs.  Realizing they needed to sell more electricity during the winter months, the electric companies heavily promoted the sales of all electric homes with the written promise of a quantity discounted all-electric rate that would last forever.  This plan helped the electric companies make more profit during off peak times to help pay their high overhead costs. 

The plan also helped the all-electric customer to heat their home for similar energy costs as the gas/electric user.  Additionally, the plan helped the gas/electric customer because First Energy did not need to raise the gas/electric customer’s rates to help offset their high overhead costs.  The all electric home program was a win-win-win solution for everyone involved.  

This was true for over 30 years under a regulated electricity market.  When Ohio approved the de-regulation of its electricity market in 1999 and changes began to be implemented in 2001, First Energy was able to sell its off-peak winter electricity on the grid for more money than it was charging its all-electric customer.  Thus, First Energy realized the all-electric customer was no longer needed or desired, and it began plans to eliminate the all-electric rate program.  In 2007, it stopped offering the all-electric rate program to new homeowners but grandfathered in current homeowners.  In 2009, First Energy completely eliminated the all-electric rate program for current homeowners too. 

By eliminating the all-electric rate program which was guaranteed in writing, First Energy has committed a breach of contract.   First Energy has used many creative tactics to justify this breach, such as trying to encourage conservation and the “unfairness” of the gas/electric users supposedly subsidizing the all-electric customer.   First Energy has yet to prove any of these reasons for eliminating the all-electric rate program.  The fact is that First Energy used the all-electric customer for as long as it benefited them, and then they simply dumped them!

First Energy is smart in trying to pit the gas/electric user against the all-electric user by falsely proclaiming that they have been charged more in the past in order to subsidize the all-electric rate.  First Energy has temporarily been ordered to continue selling to all-electric customers at the guaranteed discounted rate, and they now have a large dilemma on their hands!  The gas/electric users must realize that First Energy does indeed want to charge them more to make up the difference if they are forced to continue selling the all-electric customer power at the guaranteed discounted rate.  However, the gas/electric customer must also realize that they have not been charged more in the past to subsidize the all-electric rate program.

The idea of the quantity discount is widely accepted by consumers in all facets of business.  The consumer who buys 10 widgets does not complain that the customer who buys 100 widgets receives a lower per item price.   It is also a commonly accepted principle that the merchant accepts less profit per item on the products sold in quantity.  This is what First Energy has done for over 30 years until they decided it no longer benefited them.

First Energy must not be allowed to raise other customer’s rates to pay for their own breach of contract and poor business planning!  Instead, First Energy must pay for their mistake from stockholder profits!  First Energy has a recently established history of asking permission to charge consumers for their own business mistakes.  This is illustrated by their recent PUCO request to recoup over $700,000 from customers for their failed CFL distribution plan. 

If anyone still has doubts that the all-electric rate was being subsidized by others, then please research whose bills have gone down when the all-electric customer’s bills skyrocketed?  Likewise, if First Energy truly needed the extra income that they have enjoyed collecting from the all-electric customer since the discount was eliminated, then how can they possibly withstand the sudden loss of this income when the rates become reinstated in mid March?    The answer is that since First Energy is both the supplier and the distributor, it can artificially inflate its per kilowatt generation costs, and subsequently deflate the price on its internal books to cover the supposed “loss.”

First Energy must not be allowed to raise the rates of others simply to increase stockholder profits.  Furthermore, the media must stop reporting that the gas/electric customer has subsidized the all-electric customer because there is no evidence to prove this.

Sincerely,

Sue Steigerwald

10731 Beechwood Drive

Kirtland, OH  44094

440-667-6124 

To All Meadowood Homeowners & Residents

Fellow Residents,

Since the last letter we posted even more has happened to help us all become further united in our fight over the elimination of our all-electric home discount rates. Our group of individuals, lead by Sue Steigerwald, has established a name. The group will be called "Citizens For Keeping The All-Electric Promise". Of course, this refers to the promise/promises that were made to all of us by CEI, FirstEnergy and others, either verbally or in writing, concerning our all-electric discount rates. We had asked each of you to visit our web site to obtain the most current information on this subject and to find out how you can help to keep the momentum going. However, we are now giving you an even more productive way to do this.

Our group has its own web site which Sue will keep updating with the most current information available. The address for the web site is www.allelectrichomes.info. Sue has done more as an individual citizen to fight this problem than can be imagined. Our group is devoted to permanently restoring the all-electric home discount, tying the discount to the home and not the owner, having our overpayments to FirstEnergy from the past few months refunded to us and seeing that every all-electric home receive the discount no matter when the home was purchased. In addition, the group does not want FirstEnergy to raise the rates to offset our discounts to its other customers. We will continue to pass important information along via our Meadowood web site but we want you to visit the group web site for specific and detailed information on a regular basis. The web site will have various links that you can access directly to aid in our fight. All of us, even though who are confined to their homes, can participate in this fight through the information and instructions provided on this web site.

Finally, we encourage each of you to take action in this matter. Make the necessary telephone calls and let your thoughts and opinions be heard by those who will make the final decisions in this matter. What we shouldn’t do is sit back and do nothing and allow the promises made to us to be broken and disregarded. As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact Jim Jankura (440) 572-0958 or Scott Wade (440-268-9142) and we will attempt to answer or find out the answers to your questions.

Hello Friends, I have much to update you on tonight. First, we continually get new people added to our

grassroots group, so I want to put a little review and clarification info in first:

On March 3, the PUCO issued an emergency order requesting First Energy to reinstate the all-electric rate on a

TEMPORARY BASIS. First Energy was given 14 days (till March 17) to file a new rate/tariff schedule with the

PUCO reflecting these changes which are supposed to reflect the all-electric rates as of Dec. 2008. Now,

although this is just a TEMPORARY proposal, there was still much LEFT OUT of what the PUCO said. For

instance, they did not clarify WHO exactly was to get the discount back, even on a temporary basis.

Thus, the OCC today filed a motion to ask them to CLARIFY WHO is included and, more importantly, to ask for

EVERYONE to be included that currrently lives in an all-electric home, regardless of when they moved in or

made an name change on the account. Currently, our understanding of who is NOT INCLUDED are: 1) Those

who moved into their home or converted them to all-electric on or after Jan 1, 2007 2) Those who changed the

names on the FE account due to divorce, renting, etc 3) Those who have ONLY a water heating discount or load

management discount. See the OCC filing here: http://www.pickocc.org/news/2010/pressrelease.php?date=03082010

I asked Amy Gomberg of the OCC if the PUCO will consider their filing when they post new rates on March 17,

and she is hopeful they will. What this means is that we really are not going to know for sure until March 17

WHO'S IN and WHO'S LEFT OUT of this temporary reinstatement order.

Now, if you think just getting this temporary order done seems difficult, I am sure you can image how much work

lays ahead to get a permanent solution. We want to make our list of requests/demands known about a

permanent solution soon, but we also needed to give the OCC, etc. time to even figure out what this

TEMPORARY SOLUTION meant. Upon suggestion by our group's Terry Moore and Connie Kline among others,

I do feel we need to publicize to the governor and media what we feel is an acceptable PERMANENT solution

WELL BEFORE the 90 days is up for the PUCO to come up with their recommendation. Our suggested

permanent solution must include the following items:

1) Discount must be permanently reinstated for EVERY all-electric home currently in existence!

2) Discount must be attached to the HOUSE and not the OWNER. Otherwise, we will not be able to sell our

homes and pass the discount onto the buyer. The way it stands now, if any of us sells our house, the new owner

DOES NOT get the discount!

3) First Energy MUST NOT raise the rates of anyone else to pay for our all-electric rate. If losses are to be

incurred, First Energy should take the losses from stockholder profits since it was their breach of promise/poor

business planning that caused the problem.

Several of you have suggested signing petitions, and I have asked for advice from Grendell's office on the

effectiveness and/or necessity of this. In the age of electronics, I think that electronic submissions are taken just

as seriously and are much less time consuming to collect. However, I will wait and see what Grendell says.

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Advice for BUDGET people

Several people today reported that their current bill for March was estimated, and estimated extraordinarily high

(by 2.5 times last year's usage!) I reported this to the OCC who was NOT HAPPY! Please check your current

bill and make sure yours was not estimated. If it was, call FE and tell them you want to read the meter to them

and change it to actual. They can tell you how to read the meter. This is especially important because for

budget payment people, the budget is suposed to adjust quarterly and you don't want an erroneous month

inflating your budget payment amount.

Furthermore, I asked the OCC's Amy what you all can do who have had huge increases in your budget amount.

She explained how the budgets are currently adjusted quarterly (thus March) and that the OCC is asking for

them to be adjusted annually instead. She suggested any of you with concerns on too high of a budget should

call FE and ask them to annualize your budget now (base it on 12 months usage, not just 3). This should

Hello CKAP Friends,

(That's short for Ci=izens for Keeping the All-Electric Promise)

The Big News today, was of course, th=t First Energy filed their actual tariffs/rates based on the PUCOs March 3

Eme=gency Order. The Emergency Order stated that First Energy must file ta=iffs to restore our bills to the

December 2008 level. The order did not=specify HOW FE was to do this. Basically, what has happened is that

FE=has accomplished this task by adding additional credits to our bill but no= by restoring the ORIGINAL allelectric

discount rates. FE claims it=was not possible to restore the original way our bills were figured because

th=y have abandoned that rate structure all together called "declining block str=cture" where the more kilowatts

we used, the less we got charged. Today=s rate structure is considered "inclining block" and the more you use,

the mo=e you get charged.

Anyway, back to OUR bills. What=FE put in place is one additional credit they are calling Residential

Generation=Credit (RGC). It will show as a separate line item in your detailed bil=ing section and will be titled

"Residential Generation Credit". The=amount of the credit is 4.2 cents for CEI customers and 3.9 for Ohio

Edison, and=it applies to all kilowatts used. So, if you look at one of your bi=ls' total kilowatts used and multiply

it by either .042 or .039, that will be th= dollar figure of the generation credit you will receive off your next bi=l.

This is IN ADDITION to the already exisiting 1.9 cent generation credi= figured into the "Price to Compare"

generation kilowatt price on all usage abo=e 500kwh during winter months. It is also in addition to the exisiting

1.= cent distribution credit currently being received on all usage above 500kwh=during winter months.

Now, if that isn't confusing enough..= I did want to mention that at first I was not happy when John Funk called

me=today and told me FE only filed a Generation Credit and that they did not offer=the Distribution Credit as

they had previously led Funk to believe. =However, when I sat down and did the math on one of my monster bills

from Feb,=it really does return my bill back to the Dec 2008 level! It is just doing=it in a very confusing and

round about way. Now, you too can take a look=at your huge bills from Jan - Mar of this year and test out the

math too and=see how much it will take off your bills. Let me know if any of you disa=ree that this will indeed

return your bills to the point they were at last year=(for similar kilowatts used).

Okay - So I am satisfied that FE did=what was requested of them for this temporary "stop the bleeding" order,

but I=am highly suspicious of why they did it this way. I can believe that they=are being honest and because

they abandoned the declining block structure, it wa= impossible technically for them to re-program their system

to restore=the all-electric discount the way it used to be calculated. After al=, I was a computer programmer at

one time and know that this is certainly possib=e. However, I am more inclined to believe they are setting us up

to slowl= take the discounts away over time (like their original Feb 12 proposal suggeste= over 8 years). Maybe

we will learn more about why they did it this way=over the coming weeks, but either way, it makes it even more

important for us=to be vigilant over the next 90 days in demanding all of our needs be met in=the PERMANENT

solution (see website for details at www.allelectrichomes.info)

Sooo... Don't get too hung up=on the fact we haven't officially been given the "all-electric discount" back. =Our

bills will still have us classified as "Residential Service" and not "Reside=tial All-Electric." As long as they make it

permanent and tie it to=the house, I don't care how they do it as long as the bottom line on my bill is=the same

as what it used to be. Again, let me know if any of you disagree as=I want to make sure I am speaking for the

group, and not just my personal opinion.

Some great news today for our friends - You are includ=d in this temporary restoration! I am not sure of the

specifics=of the credits being applied, but I will find out from funk tomorrow. =We really thought FE was

excluding you all, but found out today that you we=e indeed included.

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Request for facebook group - Didn't get to it today, but will put a Facebook group connection to ou=

website tomorrow.

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Senator Grendell cal=ed me today to say he liked our website and our group's new name. He wanted=to

talk about the way FE reinstated the credits, but we played phone tag and=didn't get to speak in person.

Rep. Fende also left me a=message today but didn't get to speak to her. That's the first time she'= called

me. I think our group is gaining some clout. There was an=incident yesterday where one of our group

called the Governor's office<=STRONG> and was told not to call there because the gov had nothing to

do with=electric rates! I called and got told the same story. I sent an ema=l about our experience to the

media and several legislators (Newcomb's office=followed up with the Governor's office) and I got a call

from the head of the=Governor's communication dept. assuring me it was quite appropriate for us to

cal= the Gov and to keep calling. Again, I think our group is gaining some cl=ut of sorts (which is

good!)

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Are we getting our overbilled=money back? Is a popular question I am getting asked. =The answer is

that it is not provided for in this temporary order that was implem=nted today. However, we still have

Grendell's lawsuit which is active and=calls for the return of the money. Also, the return of the money is

being asked=for in the permanent solution by both us and the OCC.

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***********************

Start writing/emailing your=requests for our permanent solution to be implented!! I'll remind you

every=two weeks to do it again!

That's all for now,

Sue

Below here is the content of=yesterday's email because so many of you were on yahoo accounts and

those messages=all bounced back to me because the date on my computer was set too far ahe=d .

Here's yesterday's update:

Our group has an official name now:&n=sp; "Citizens for Keeping the All-Electric Promise" =I had to

keep the name simple and it in no way is meant to exclude the load man=gement and/or water heating

ONLY customers as you both are still included.&nb=p;

I have also launched a simple=20 website for our use and to help publicize our group. Th= web address

is: www.=llelectrichomes.info Check it out and let me know what you think. My goal for the web=ite is

to keep only the most important info out there, enough that if someone vi=ited they could still

accomplish the main goal which is currently to ask for the=permanent solution we want PUCO to

approve over the next 90 days. I also=include a Contact Us page where someone can send me their

email and be added to=receive these more frequent and detailed newsletters.

I think with a website, we will be ab=e to reach a lot more people. For one reason, lots of people want to

remain=anonomys and don't want to join a group, but will perform the actions on their=own off our

website. Also, it will be a lot easier for us to publicize=a website address than my email address and

people can get instant information=on what they can do to help with the cause.

Please start to publicize the=website address as much as you can. You all live in various cit=es with

different city newsletters and newspapers, etc.. See if you can'= get the website address put into those

smaller publications to reach more peop=e. I will be doing a media blast out tonight announcing the

website addre=s too and will hit most of the major papers like News-Herald, PD, and Akron Beac=n

Journal and the Geauga county papers. I will do the same with the legisl=tors we are currently working

with asking them to refer constituents to the website. Let me know any other ideas you have on how we

can get=more publicity.

***********************************=*********************************************************************=*********************

************************************************=**********************************

My emails are bouncing to tho=e of you with Yahoo accounts as of today and I'm not sure why! &=bsp;

Any ideas, please advise.

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Good News for FES customers

Connie Kline did extensive research=today on the whole FES situaiton. What she has uncovered (in

writing and per=phone call today) is that FES should in no way harm your ability to receive the=20 allelectric

discount and/or load management/water heater discount.&nb=p; If you currently have FES, stay

with it for now. If you are being offer=d FES, hold tight till tomorrow and we'll advise further if it might

actually=be helpful to switch to it. The reason for this is that FES is a pe=cent discount (5%) off the

apples to apples compare rate which already incl=des all of your credits. Thus, you would get your

credit/discount=and get the 5% on top of it.

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Warning on FE WAY overestimat=ng bills again!

Again, we have more complaints that=FE is way overestimating bills. If you get an estimate, call FE and

tell=them your meter reading to get an actual reading based bill. They can tell=you how to read your

meter.

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"All-Electric" Bus Rally/March Sign-Up Form!

Wednesday May 12, 2010

Leave at 6:15 am, Return at approx. 7 p.m.

Rally at Columbus PUCO, Capitol, Governor’s Office and (on the way home) at FirstEnergy in Akron. Bus Service by Great Day! Tours.

Must Have 110 Participants to Go!

Instructions

1. Print this form

2. Fill it out completely

3. Mail it along with a $20 check (per person)made out to "Bill Sass" to:

Bill Sass

1400 Erieview Drive

Madison, OH 44057

4. Deadline for Registration is Friday April 30.

Questions? Call Bill at 440-428-1610

Note: Checks will not be cashed until May 8 and will be returned to you if the trip is cancelled.

Please Print!

Name(s):________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Number of People Attending: ____________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Home Phone: ___________________________________________

Cell Phone: ___________________________________________

Email: _________________________________________________

I will meet the charter bus at the following location:

_______ Old Euclid Square Mall Parking Lot off Babbit Road

(arrive at 6:15 a.m., depart promptly at 6:30 a.m.)

_______ Cleveland – Great Day! Tours Parking Lot located

At 375 Treeworth Blvd., Cleveland, OH

(arrive at 6:30 a.m., depart promptly at 6:45 a.m.)