Frederick voters will decide in a special June 26 election whether the town can proceed with the proposed $18 million sale of its Electric Light Works municipal utility to Brighton-based electric cooperative United Power Inc.
Frederick and United Power announced on April 18 that they had reached an agreement for United Power's purchase of the town's municipal electric utility.
However, Colorado law requires voter approval of the sale, and Frederick's Board of Trustees have referred the question to the ballot, according to town spokeswoman Megan Williams.
Frederick, in terms of electricity providers, is split into roughly a third to the east, called "Old Town," and roughly two-thirds of the town that have since been annexed in, called "New Town."
Frederick has owned the distribution system in Old Town since at least the 1950s, while United Power owns the distribution system in New Town.
The question facing voters is whether to permit Frederick to sell its municipal utility to United Power for a lump-sum $18 million payment, with the sale to close on or before July 1, 2019, "with such other terms and considerations as may be agreed to between the two parties."
Under the agreement announced earlier this month, United Power would provide ongoing service to those customers currently located in the municipal utility's boundaries. If approved by voters, United Power, which already is the electricity provider to the resident of the town, would then provide service to all Frederick residents.
Williams said in a news release that Frederick voters can expect to begin getting their blank ballots in the mail at the beginning of June and can mail the completed ballots back or take them to Town Hall, 401 Locust St., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays.
Residents who haven't mailed their ballots back by June 18 will be encouraged to take their ballots to Town Hall or to the Frederick Post Office, 411 Oak St., to ensure the town receives their ballots by 7 p.m. June 26, Election Day.
Frederick residents who have not already registered to vote, or who have changed their addresses since the last election, are encouraged to register or to update their addresses at govotecolorado.com. Voter registration also can be done at Frederick's Town Hall, the Weld County Clerk's Office or any motor vehicle office or driver's license office within Colorado.
John Fryar: 303-684-5211, jfryar@times-call.com or twitter.com/jfryartc