DeYong wants Kingsville/ENWIN relationship, request second feeder line following E.L.K sale

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative

At an upcoming regular meeting, Kingsville Deputy Mayor Kim DeYong will ask fellow Councillors to consider establishing a relationship with ENWIN Group of Companies, after learning the Town of Essex has sold its shares of E.L.K. Energy – and its subsidy company E.L.K. Solutions – to the City of Windsor-owned utility. E.L.K. serves over 12,000 customers in the Essex, Kingsville (and Cottam), and Lakeshore areas. The announcement of the sale took place March 14. If DeYong’s motion passes, that will be through a letter to ENWIN, which will highlight the Town of Kingsville’s Council and Administration are committed to building and maintaining a positive working relationship with ENWIN, premised on the Town’s advocacy position for Kingsville and Cottam customers. The letter would also request a meeting with ENWIN at its earliest convenience. She will also ask Kingsville Council to support that E.L.K.’s current mission statement – to provide the highest quality of service to its customers by ensuring the electrical system is designed, constructed, and maintained to ensure its reliability, safety, and affordability – continues, despite the purchase. In addition, DeYong will ask Kingsville Council to request the continuation of regular tree maintenance for Cottam and Kingsville customers, and the expedited construction and installation of a second feeder line to increase the reliability of electricity service for Kingsville and Cottam residents. She put this forward as a Notice of Motion at the March 17 Kingsville Council meeting, which will be tabled for discussion at the April 14 meeting. “I have no reason to believe that ENWIN won’t be good partners to us,” she noted at the recent meeting of Kingsville Council.“This is a decision by the Town of Essex as the sole shareholder,” DeYong noted. “I do have some opinions about the sale.” She explained that Kingsville lost its ability to control the future of E.L.K. when it sold its share to the Town of Essex previously. “Knowing what I know as the E.L.K. Board member about the state of E.L.K. and the underinvestment over the years, [ENWIN] really does seem like a company with more resources, and more financial ability is going to be needed in order to get the infrastructure here in E.L.K. territory up-to-date,” DeYong said. “Hopefully, it will mean good things.” Due to the sale, Kingsville will lose its seat on the board that governs the utility. That will require Kingsville to establish a relationship with ENWIN, DeYong explained. After the Town of Essex announced the sale, Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy noted the current E.L.K Board will be transitioned out in the next year. It was negotiated that the E.L.K. territory will have one seat on ENWIN’s Board for ten-years. She highlighted that Kingsville, in the past, has advocated on behalf of Kingsville and Cottam customers for quality customer service, regular tree maintenance, and increased investment on its distribution infrastructure.