A 12-month spread out

Hartley will recover February's natural gas surge prices by adding the expense to customers' bills during the next year.

The city council on Monday agreed to add 24 cents per CCF to bills for the next 12 months. Doing so will allow the city to recoup gas price surges from February, which skyrocketed during the five-day polar vortex.

"Everybody is doing something different, and there's not a perfect answer for the situation," said Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz. "It was such an odd and unknown situation...spreading it out seems to be the best."

Natural gas prices surged in mid-Februa...