A mistake by Cinergy Corp. in calculating the electricity bills at Paul Brown Stadium during its first two years of operation means about $180,000 in underbilling must be paid from the county's stadium budget.

        The figure is imprecise because Cinergy officials are still trying to add up the exact amount.

        “They told us there are still some things they have to calculate,” said Eric Stuckey, assistant county administrator.

        Steve Brash, a Cinergy spokesman, said the error happened when a computer code was entered incorrectly, resulting in meter readings at the stadium every 10 minutes instead of every 15 minutes.

        “Consequently, the full level of demand during those 15-minute intervals was consistently low,” hesaid. “So we've got to go back and check every interval, every day. It's a very big job.”

        The amount underbilled averages about $10,000 per month. The stadium paid an average of $106,000 per month for its energy usage at the stadium.

        Eric Brown, the stadium's manager, who is no relation to Bengals owner Mike Brown, said the back payment will cramp the stadium's operating budget.

        “We don't know what the payment terms are going to be,” Mr. Brown said. “Those will be ongoing discussions with Cinergy on how that all gets accomplished.”

        Cinergy's Mr. Brash said the company typically approves a repayment schedule that is as long as the error occurred — 18 months in this case. “Since this was our error, we want to make sure the bill we present to the county is correct, and we would certainly discuss with the county a payment plan that goes over that period of time,” he said.

        The stadium had its first game in August 2000, but the Bengals took possession of their offices in June.

Support builds for reforms for retarded
Taft targets high-tech jobs
Taft's tech plan wins area praise
CAN's slogan urges action
Cops: Banks robbed to feed drug habits
Male patient shot to death in hospital
City Hall becomes like a courtroom
Early release refused for teen rioter
Gunman surrenders after standoff
Tristate A.M. Report
Whoops - you owe us, county gets told
HOWARD: Some Good News
RADEL: The family store
SAMPLES: Abstinence
Butler may delay request for sales-tax hike
Deerfield wants Y that Loveland rejected
Driver pleads not guilty in fatal crash
Kings' creativity flows in senior
Lessons learned from Lebanon ethics woes
Montgomery charter under review
Planning summit to tackle sprawl
Who hears abuse case undecided
Mother accused of killing babies
Gravel operation grows
Kentucky News Briefs
Mayor's pick for new police chief is old one
Nuns to work in Uganda
Store-flasher suspect faces another charge
Water main fate being addressed