Councilors move forward with electric aggregation, community paramedicine

LACONIA — City councilors pressed onward in their process of exploring community electric aggregation and authorized City Manager Kirk Beattie to accept and expend a grant to fund the fire department’s new community paramedicine program at their meeting on Nov. 25.

Councilors sought community input during a public hearing on its electric aggregation plan, but no members of the public spoke for or against it. 

By unanimous decision, councilors sent the draft aggregation plan and any relevant comments or suggestions to the city’s electric aggregation committee for review and approval. When that committee approves a final plan, it will be referred back to the broader city council for final review and potential approval.

According to the draft aggregation plan, the program is designed to offer competitive choice to eligible consumers as an alternative to services provided by its two default providers, Eversource and New Hampshire Electric Co-op. The city is engaged with Freedom Energy Logistics which, in coordination with Colonial Power Group, would serve as the professional, technical and legal consultant for the program.

Electrical aggregation may provide customers with access to greater buying power to negotiate rates for electric supply. The city would seek greater control of its options in providing energy, pursue greater price stability and savings opportunities. It could allow the city to procure more renewable energy.

At a previous public hearing on the matter, some residents suggested the city consider rolling into an aggregation plan being considered by Belknap County rather than create one on their own, but councilors signaled support for maintaining a greater level of local control.

And councilors approved the acceptance of a $450,000 grant to the city’s fire department to fund their forthcoming community paramedicine program. 

The fire department was awarded a Community Paramedic Program grant not to exceed $450,000 to fund the Collaborative Mobile Integrated Health Program, a collaborative effort between their department and the Partnership for Public Health. A Health Resources and Services Administration Northern Borders grant was awarded to fund the entirety of a three-year program.

A memorandum of agreement between both entities needed approval in order to exchange grant funds. The first year of the program will cost $190,000, the second will cost $130,000 and the third $130,000. There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the city because matching funds are not required.

According to the memorandum, PPH will be responsible for managing the grant and leading its implementation; hiring a community health worker to deliver program services; collecting and reporting applicable data; facilitation of patient referrals to the Community Paramedicine Program; and engaging in community outreach efforts to raise awareness of the program and to recruit participants. 

The fire department will be responsible for oversight of the implementation and management of the program and subcontracting with PPH to provide paramedicine services; hiring and training a community paramedic to deliver program services; collaborating with community health workers to address social determinants of health and connect patients to community resources and support; engaging in community outreach to raise awareness and recruit participants; and to participate in evaluation and feedback provision about the program. 

Funding for the grant must be renewed each year.