6.1. ERMUSR 05-20-2014 -Ij
Elk Riv 4 r
Munici ii al Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
I
TO: FROM:
Elk River M ii.cipal Utilities Commission Troy Adams, P.E.—General Manager
John Dietz— I air
Al Nadeau— ice Chair
Daryl Thomp nn—Trustee
MEETING D• TE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
May 20, 2014 6.1a
SUBJECT:
Staff Updates General Manager
DISCUSSIO I II
• At the •ovember 2013 Utilities Commission meeting the commission considered
inform!tion provided by the Wage & Benefits Committee regarding the pay plan and cost
of livi 1. adjustment(COLA). The Commission took the Committee recommendation to
split thr pay plan into four groups: Office, Field, Lineworker, and Management. Then
based iri comparable market data awarded for 2014 a 2.7% COLA to the Lineworker pay
plan g Illup and a 2.1% COLA for the other groups. If the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
for 20 1 was higher than 2.1%, the Commission would discuss adjusting the 2014 COLA
for the .roups that were awarded the 2.1% adjustment. The 2013 CPI for our area has
been p blished at 1.9% and therefore does not trigger further discussion by the
Comm f ssion.
• Our U i lities Chair John Dietz wrote an article regarding ERMU from his capacity as
Mayor •f the City of Elk River. The article was published is the City's spring 2014
newsleilter,the Elk River Current. The article,Power to the People,highlights the great
value eat ERMU provides to our community. Typically public power providers are not
great a tooting their own horns. But this is a great message to share with our customers
and the community as many people may not be aware. It is also great to see that ERMU
has su. support from our city. What we have is very special. Over the past few years
we ha seen other cities including Minneapolis, MN, and Boulder, CO, consider
municio alizing an electric utility. These cities, along with others, consider investing
multi llions of dollars and countless hours to get what we already have.
• Centra Minnesota Municipal Power Agency(CMMPA)will be hosting a CAPX
Brookil g transmission project ownership meeting June 24. The meeting will include
discus' ng the ownership revenue that is scheduled to begin this year.
Mi..,
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• On April 22 Tom Sagstetter and I attended the Connexus Energy annual meeting.
• I have registered to attend the Great River Energy annual meeting in Maple Grove on
June 4.
• The American Public Power Association (APPA)National Conference will be held in
Denver, CO, June 14-18. Commissioner Al Nadeau and I will be attending.
• Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA)held a board meeting in conjunction
with their Legislative Rally. They will be holding a planning session on June 5-6 in
Plymouth, MN. The next board meeting will be during the MMUA Summer Conference.
The conference will be August 18-20 in Alexandria, MN.
• The next MMPA board meeting is scheduled for June 27th in Shakopee, MN.
• I have begun working on the annual Employee Handbook update process with legal
counsel. The handbook will be brought to the Commission for approval in June or July.
ATTACHMENTS:
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics— Consumer Price Index, Minneapolis/St. Paul—2013
Annual Averages
• Elk River Current Spring 2014—From the Desk of the Mayor:Power to the People
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Consumer Price Index Minneapolis-St. Paul,Minn.-Wis., MSA Page 1 of 7
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Midwest Information Office
NEWS RELEASE CONTACTS
INFORMATION
Technical information:
14-279-CHI (312)353-1880 BLSInfoChicago(a�bls.gov www.bls.gov/ro5
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Media contact:
(312)353-1138
Consumer Price Index, Minneapolis-St. Paul-2013 Annual Averages
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area rose 1.9 percent
from 2012 to 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer
noted that the energy index increased 2.2 percent in 2013, primarily due to higher prices for electricity and
utility (piped) gas service. Food prices were up 0.8 percent. The index for all items less food and energy
increased 2.1 percent. Within the all items less food and energy category, the indexes for shelter, medical care,
and education and communication were higher over the year.
Food
Average annual food prices rose 0.8 percent in 2013 after rising 2.8 percent in 2012. Between the two
components of the food index, prices for food at home increased 0.4 percent and the food away from home
index rose 1.1 percent.
Energy
The energy index increased 2.2 percent in 2013 after declining 2.3 percent in 2012. Within the energy category,
the index for electricity rose 11.0 percent and the index for utility (piped) gas service increased 12.6 percent.
Gasoline prices were 2.9 percent lower compared to their 2012 averages.
All items less food and energy
Over the year, the annual average index for all items less food and energy increased 2.1 percent. Among the
index's components, higher costs were recorded for shelter (2.2 percent), medical care (4.2 percent), and
education and communication (3.1 percent). 1 http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/print.pl/ro5/cpimpls.htm 21 5/14/2014
Consumer Price Index Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis., MSA Page 2 of 7
The first half 2014 Consumer Price Index for Minneapolis-St. Paul is scheduled to be released on
August 19, 2014.
Technical Note
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market
basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI
for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 88 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI
for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 29 percent of the total population. The
CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and
technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the
labor force.
The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and
dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month,
prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 4,000 housing units and approximately
26,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of
stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included
in the index.
The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase
of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the
price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to
$11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of
Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at
www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homchl7 a.htm.
In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights
that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then
combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index
is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition,
local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than
the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure
differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices
for each area since the base period.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis. metropolitan are covered in this release is comprised of Anoka, Carver,
Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright Counties and Pierce and
St. Croix Counties in Wisconsin.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:
(202) 691-5200: Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
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Consumer Price I i dex Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis., MSA Page 3 of 7
Table 1. Consu er Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes for annual
averages and •ercent changes for selected periods
Minneapolis-S . Paul, MN-WI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group Annual average indexes Percent change
2012 2013 2012 to 2013
Expenditure cat ,ory
All items 224.459 228.811 1.9
All items(1967=100) 705.368 719.045
Food and beve ages 265.296 266.941 0.6
Food 253.797 255.801 0.8
Food at ho e 248.464 249.434 0.4
Food away from home 261.654 264.556 1.1
Alcoholic be erages 372.355 369.338 -0.8
Housing 195.945 201.074 2.6
Shelter 224.077 228.910 2.2
Rent of pri ary residence W 223.895 228.255 1.9
Owners'e•uiv. rent of residences(1•)L31 234.303 239.684 2.3
Owners' -quiv. rent of primary residence L)
L?1 234.303 239.684 2.3
Fuels and uti ities 181.027 197.512 9.1.
Household -nergy 166.894 185.083 10.9
Energy • ices L1 168.250 187.768 11.6
Electri.ity L) 222.405 246.935 11.0
Utility ,piped)gas service L1 121.671 136.968 12.6
Household furnishings and operations 125.614 124.550 -0.8.
Apparel 139.602 142.195 1.9
Transportation 215.088 215.514 0.2
Private trans.ortation 200.370 197.298 -1.5
Motor fuel 286.706 278.405 -2.9
Gasoline all types) 288.381 279.927 -2.9
Gasoline,unleaded regular L1
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Consumer Price Index Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis., MSA Page 4 of 7
Item and Group Annual average indexes Percent change
2012 2013 2012 to 2013
294.169 284.580 -3.3
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade 131 L4) 287.266 280.603 -2.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium L.) 328.489 323.300 -1.6
Medical care 447.033 465.648 4.2
Recreation al 122.659 122.017 -0.5
Education and communication 151 136.701 140.953 3.1
Other goods and services 321.947 339.487 5.4
Commodity and service group
All Items 224.459 228.811 1.9
Commodities 193.784 193.976 0.1
Commodities less food&beverages 159.497 159.095 -0.3
Nondurables less food&beverages 210.926 212.195 0.6
Durables 113.625 111.577 -1.8
Services 251.540 259.457 3.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care 214.421 218.170 1.7
All items less shelter 225.824 229.958 1.8
Commodities less food 167.565 167.080 -0.3
Nondurables 238.067 239.521 0.6
Nondurables less food 222.680 223.705 0.5
Services less rent of shelter() 296.195 308.496 4.2
Services less medical care services 234.925 241.914 3.0
Energy 230.409 235.441 2.2
All items less energy 227.487 231.770 1.9
All items less food and energy 223.594 228.259 2.1
Footnotes
(1)This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were
calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
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Consumer Price Iii dex Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis., MSA Page 5 of 7
Item and Group Annual average indexes Percent change
2012 2013 2012 to 2013
(4) Indexes on a icember 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a 0M cember 1997=100 base.
Data not availabl:
Table 2. Consuj er Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes for
semiannual av!rages and percent changes for selected periods
Minneapolis-S, Paul, MN-WI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Percent change to
2nd half 2013
Semiannual average indexes from-
I -m and Group 2nd half 1st half 2nd half 2nd half 1st half
2012 2013 2013 2012 2013
Expenditure cat;a ory
All items 225.038 228.473 229.149 1.8 0.3
All items(1967 00) 707.187 717.983 720.107 - -
Food and beve ages 265.488 267.843 266.038 0.2 -0.7
Food 254.336 256.643 254.960 0.2 -0.7
Food at ho e 248.641 251.769 247.099 -0.6 -1.9
Food away rom home 263.211 263.717 265.395 0.8 0.6
Alcoholic be rages 368.252 370.893 367.783 -0.1 -0.8
Housing 197.086 200.390 201.758 2.4 0.7
Shelter 225.156 228.269 229.552 2.0 0.6
Rent of pri ary residence Ll 225.098 227.272 229.237 1.8 0.9
Owners'e. iv. rent of residences Ll L?l 235.376 238.981 240.387 2.1 0.6
Owners'i quiv.rent of primary
resident= W.in 235.376 238.981 240.387 2.1 0.6
Fuels and uti ities 184.291 195.838 199.185 8.1 1.7
Household -nergy 170.089 183.355 186.810 9.8 1.9
Energy -rvices W 171.859 185.760 189.776 10.4 2.2
Electri.ity Ll 226.082 242.009 251.861 11.4 4.1
Utility (piped)gas service in 125.299 137.629 136.307 8.8 -1.0
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Consumer Price Index Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis., MSA Page 6 of 7
Percent change to
2nd half 2013
Semiannual average indexes from-
Item and Group 2nd half 1st half 2nd half 2nd half 1st half
2012 2013 2013 2012 2013
Household furnishings and operations 125.471 124.458 124.642 -0.7 0.1
Apparel 138.667 140.555 143.836 3.7 2.3`.
Transportation 214.506 217.883 213.145 -0.6 -2.2
Private transportation 199.731 199.123 195.472 -2.1 -1.8
Motor fuel 286.427 288.135 268.674 -6.2 -6.8
Gasoline(all types) 287.976 289.963 269.890 -6.3 -6.9
Gasoline, unleaded regular L.1 293.744 295.391 273.769 -6.8 -7.3
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade 0)C4) 286.818 289.782 271.424 -5.4 -6.3
Gasoline,unleaded premium C3) 328.174 331.737 314.862 -4.1 -5.1
Medical care 449.053 460.009 471.287 5.0 2.5
152 122.017 121.010 123.025 0.8 1.7
Education and communication Cs) 137.995 142.335 139.571 1.1 -1.9
Other goods and services 322.540 327.550 351.425 9.0 7.3
Commodity and service group
All Items 225.038 228.473 229.149 1.8 0.3
Commodities 193.465 194.360 193.591 0.1 -0.4
Commodities less food&beverages 158.978 159.257 158.932 0.0 -0.2
Nondurables less food&beverages 210.020 212.358 212.031 1.0 -0.2
Durables 113.469 111.732 111.422 -1.8 -0.3
Services 252.886 258.502 260.412 3.0 0.7
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care 214.939 218.052 218.288 1.6 0.1
All items less shelter 226.147 229.781 230.135 1.8 0.2
Commodities less food 166.932 167.285 166.875 0.0 -0.2
Nondurables 237.658 240.026 239.016 0.6 -0.4
Nondurables less food 221.573 223.952 223.459 0.9 -0.2
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Consumer Price Index Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis., MSA Page 7 of 7
Percent change to
2nd half 2013
Semiannual average indexes from-
Item and Group 2nd half 1st half 2nd half 2nd half 1st half
2012 2013 2013 2012 2013
Services less rent of shelter t31 297.833! 307.120 309.872 4.0 0.9
Services less medical care services 236.196 241.343 242.485 2.7 0.5
Energy 231.891 239.503 231.379 -0.2 -3.4
All items less energy 228.003 231.111 232.429 1.9 0.6
All items less food and energy 224.107 227.353 229.166 2.3 0.8!
Footnotes
(1)This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator.All other item stratum index series were
calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
- Data not available.
Last Modified Date: february 20, 2014
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics I Midwest Information Office,Suite 960, 230 South Dearborn Street, Chicago,IL 60604
www.bls.00v/ro5 I Telephone: 1-312-353-1880 I Contact Midwest Region (R051
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_
From the Desk of
the Mayor
Power to the People
, � One of the best kept secrets in our city J_�
-Ifi is Elk River Municipal Utilities(ERMU). :
They provide electricity to a good share ; ' c .7��)
` of our citizens and also run the city water
system. - w. ; *ate
John J. Dietz - Mayor ERMU is thriving in a market dominated
by large co-ops and investor-owned t i?ttt'
utilities.The largest benefit of having a municipal utility in our city is At WOW Orthodontics,we think getting braces is
local control. ERMU is governed by a three-member board appointed by a life changing experience.That's why we want
the city council. to make it easier for you by offering$250 off full
orthodontic treatment.*
ERMU is not in existence to make a lot of money. Rather, it is there to
provide reliable electricity at the lowest rate possible.The electric rates We welcome most insurance,as well as self-pay
at ERMU are very competitive with neighboring power companies. patients.Call us today at 763-421-929i
or visit .. ,,t ir.;, r orfn.
The service offered to our citizens by ERMU is extraordinary.It is
extremely reliable with very few outages.This is partially due to the
*For full offer details and
proactive nature of ERMU.You will often see employees trimming trees, �L ��, restrictions,please visit
helping to prevent future outages during storms.Our utility also spends wowortho.com.
a lot of time being proactive in testing its equipment to catch problems
before they become large issues.
A few years back,the Elk River City Council was considering selling
ERMU.To me,that would have been a huge mistake.We would have
lost all local control, putting our ratepayers at the mercy of a new power f
Two Year Tuition _^,•
supplier.
Most ERMU employees live in or close to Elk River.They are involved
in the community. ERMU works very closely with the City of Elk River.
There is a lot of teamwork going on that benefits all ratepayers and
taxpayers. ,.
jE t 2 1,- 1 F 7 .
ERMU is in the process of trying to expand its service territory. r`rri
Hopefully we are on our way to making that happen. -
ERMU also contributes to the city in a financial way, 3%of all sales of ' ' ' Register now for
power within the city are paid in lieu of taxes. Right now,that amounts - ,,er'
to an annual payment to the city of about$800,000. .47 fal I semester!
I have heard it said that Elk River is very fortunate that it has a municipal ...\-,1 ��` � l'
80
utility and municipal liquor stores.Those two entities contribute over
$1 million to the city each year,thus providing income that otherwise (.4 technical career
would likely be collected in taxes.Those funds help provide money for
park improvements and city vehicles,among other things. and
ERMU is a valuable part of life in Elk River and its role will continue to AFtI O��
increase as the years go by.
:fr4. , TECHNICAL COLLEGE
AnokaTech.edu 763-433-1100
12;
Elk River
Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO: FROM:
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Theresa Slominski—Finance and Office Manager
John Dietz—Chair
Al Nadeau—V"ce Chair
Daryl Thompson—Trustee
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
May 20, 2014 6.1b
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
DISCUSSION:
We had 2,576 credit card payment transactions in April, compared to 2,611 in March. The fee for
April should be $5,796.00. We also had a security account credit card payment for a fee of
$45.00.
An update on the software conversion:
• We continue to work on a list of items for NISC in preparation of the conversion
for the Accounting and Business Solutions in August. There is a team meeting
weekly to keep the process on track.
• Preparation for the Customer Care and Billing conversion in February of 2015 is
starting to ramp up as those pre-preparations are beginning at NISC.
• Our current credit card provider will soon be given notice for the term of our
association with them, effective April 26th 2016. As this will be later than our
February 2015 implementation date,we need to explore the impact of that
association. I have been in contact with Peter Beck regarding this.
Dolores Andreasen has provided notice that she will be retiring from Elk River Municipal
Utilities after 11 years of service, effective July 31St 2014. The majority of her time with us has
been as a Customer Service Representative, although she worked with Payroll and Accounts
Payable for approximately a year and a half from 2005 to 2007. She has been a great employee
and will certainly be missed, and we wish her all the best in her retirement.
The PCAs keep coming. We have received high PCAs every month so far in 2014. The April
bill reflects an additional $93,829 for an accumulated total of$703,331. We are distributing 6
mils in May, and would have another approximately 4 mils to distribute in a later month to bring
the balance within$500,000. We will continue to monitor this and provide the updated balances.
P-OWERED BY
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c, .*,
Elk River
Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO: FROM:
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Mark Fuchs—Electric Superintendent
John Dietz—Chair
Al Nadeau—Vice Chair
Daryl Thompson—Trustee
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
May 13, 2014 6.1c
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
DISCUSSION:
• Had one new service.
• Finished working on the Triple Deck Feeder rebuild until CATV gets their lines
transferred onto the new poles.
• Working on changing out our overhead cutouts and fuses. This process includes checking
padmount transformers and padmount switch gear to make sure there are no leaks; the
proper tags are in place, the map book matches the tags, and all the warning stickers are
on the outside.
• Continue tree trimming.
• Continue working on collecting data with the GPS for our ArcView maps as time
permits.
• Finished the additional service for Aggregate Industries gravel pit. We still have to do the
line extension which we'll start this summer.
• Working on digging in the ends of the secondary wires for house services we installed
this winter. Most of these are on the transformer or pedestal end of the service.
• Hired Russell Stuhr for the Bore Rig Operator position we had open. He began May 12th.
• Matt Oeffling has taken a lineman position with East Central Energy. His last day of
employment was May 16th. We're in the process of hiring an Apprentice Lineworker for
his replacement.
• I attended the APPA Engineering & Operations Technical Conference in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma. They also had the Lineworkers Rodeo going on at the same time. This is
where lineworkers compete in hurt man rescues and different maintenance tasks on
overhead lines. In 2016 the Conference and Lineworkers Rodeo will be held in
Minnesota. Some of the sessions I attended were substation maintenance and
modernization, system losses and what they mean to you, creating the ultimate high
performance organization, dangers of back feeding generators, and dealing with hostile
customers, workplace retirements and new technologies. It was a very good conference.
4�■�< INATUPE
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1 +/j
Elk Riv:fir
Munici 1 al Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
I
TO: FROM:
Elk River Mu cipal Utilities Commission Wade Lovelette—Superintendent of Technical
John Dietz— I air Services
Al Nadeau— 1.ce Chair
Daryl Thompson—Trustee
MEETING DI, TE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
Date: May 13, P 01 6.1d
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
DISCUSSIO
• T - Locating department had a total of 255 locate tickets in April; three of them
bel ng emergency tickets, four cancellations, nine meets, 234 normal tickets, one
b I dary survey, three updated tickets and one non-excavation ticket.
• In ' pril, the Security Systems Department had a total of 78 phone contacts, seven
systems quoted, four system sales made, four installs completed, 26 service calls
an:i seven personal visits.
• El:ctric Technicians continue with the meter reading,power bill, substation checks,
h.N ging red-tags,meter read-outs and off-peak issues. They continue to change out
th! three phase meters to radio read meters and help with the monthly engine runs.
• T - power plant staff did the monthly engine run on April 18th. The engines ran
g e Id with no problems.
• St:ff continues to collect data with the GPS for our ArcView maps as time permits.
T Is is an ongoing project and with the coming spring, the data collection should get
a spit easier.
• Jeff attended the Generation School in Fairmont, MN. His Education Form is
at';ched.
• I . tended the APPA Engineering& Operations Technical Conference in Oklahoma
Ci ly last month. I've attached my Education Report and will also be giving a power
p. nt presentation on RP3.
ATTACHM TS:
• "9' Utilities Receive APPA RP3 Award at E&O Conference..."Public Power
W;ekly
Rira,'
PYONEOEO OY
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• Security Systems Weekly Update
• Security Systems Analysis
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Public Power Weekly
April 14,2014:No.15
94 utilities receive APPA Reliable Public Power Provider
award at E&O Conference in Oklahoma
Ninety-four public power utilities were awarded Reliable Public Power Provider(RP3)
recognition from the American Public Power Association for providing consumers with the
highest degree of reliable and safe electric service. Brent McKinney,manager of electric
transmission and distribution at City Utilities of Springfield,Mo., and chair of APPA's RP3
Review Panel,presented the utilities with their awards April 7 during the association's annual
Engineering & Operations Technical Conference in Oklahoma City.
The RP3 designation recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key
disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement. Criteria within
each category are based on sound business practices and represent a utility-wide commitment to
the safe and reliable delivery of electricity. The RP3 designation now lasts for three years (up
from two), so the 94 utilities that earned the designation this year join the 90 that received it last
year.
"RP3 utilities are providing a high level of service to communities all over the country," said
McKinney, "These 94 designees stand out as models of safe, reliable, and forward-thinking
utility operations."
This is the ninth year that the RP3 designation has been offered.
133
Elk River -'`---
Municipal Utilities
13069 Orono Parkway
P.O. Box 430
Elk River, MN 55330-0430
Elk River Municipal Utilities
Security System Weekly Update
(sum of weeks)
Month of April-14
Number of Contacts 78
Number of systems quoted 7
Number of sales made 4
Number of Installs completed 4
Number of service calls 26
Personal Visits 7
Revenue Mar-14 $ 19,981
Expense Mar-14 $20,940
Margin* Mar-14 $ (959)
YTD Revenue Mar-14 $ 77,796
YTD Expense Mar-14 $46,469
YTD Margin* Mar-14 $ 31,327
*Margin calculations exclude depreciation,payroll taxes,benefits coverage and office support
134
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Elk Riv; r
Munici •I a1 Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO: FROM:
Elk River Mu cipal Utilities Commission Eric Volk- Water Superintendent
John Dietz— • air
Al Nadeau— ce Chair
Daryl Thomps in—Trustee
MEETING Dl TE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
May 20, 2014 6.1e
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
DISCUSSION:
• Delive i•d 6 new residential water meters.
• Sealed he water meter and took curb stop ties from 7 water services.
• Shut o 14 water services and 2 electric services, also turned on 6 water services and 4
electri6 services.
• Went ol 9 service calls.
• Compl!ted 25 BACTI/Total Chlorine Residual Samples; all confirmed negative for
Colifo ill Bacteria.
• Compl!ted 20 routine fluoride samples. All samples met MDH standards. We also
compl: ed our state mandated fluoride validation sample and are meeting our satisfactory
treatma t levels.
• The M. nesota Department of Health visited us last month to take sodium and sulfate
sample: from all of our wells. This is a routine test that the Department of Health does.
• All of r frozen services have thawed out. The last one to thaw out was Pearle Vision
which 1 awed out on April 28. The final determination of how much it cost has not yet
been d: ermined. Even though it was a stressful time for our customers and the water
depa ent, we did get some positive feedback from our customers. Everyone was just
really .ppy to have had water through the ordeal.
• Mike, ngela, and Pete continued to work on Well#7. They removed and replaced all of
the out:ated plumbing. The new sodium permanganate systems are all working well.
• Pete stJ ed working on curbstop ties again. This project will take a while. We still have
around :00 missing ties.
• Darren eber scanned all of our paper maps using the new scanner in engineering. This
will he I us finish the conversion to the new Bolton and Menk GIS web app.
• We are aiting for Sprint to finish up the punch lists for the Gary Street and Johnson
Street . tennae installations. The contracts are almost complete for the Verizon
install. p
ln'1 ions that will take place on the Gary Street and Johnson Street Towers.
'POWER
OWERED I
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Reliable Public
Power Provider P O W E R E D To S E R V E
137
ATTACHMENTS:
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Elk River
Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO: FROM:
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Tom Sagstetter- Conservation and Key Accounts
John Dietz—Chair Manager
Al Nadeau—Vice Chair
Daryl Thompson—Trustee
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
May 20t', 2014 6.1f
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
DISCUSSION:
• Worked with Elk River EDA to update information for a possible data center project.
• Provided Energy City tours to 55 Boy Scouts and their parents on May 3rd. Energy City also
hosted a tour on May 9th for 15 students and faculty from Minneapolis school district.
• Completed the 2013 Conservation Improvement Program data entry for Great River
Energy. This information will be aggregated with other GRE members and submitted to
the Minnesota Division of Energy Resources for review in June 2014. In 2013 ERMU
spent approximately $389,000 on conservation program related expenses. Customers of
ERMU received over$172,000 in rebates for participating in one or more of the
programs. The conservation programs saved the equivalent of over 2.1 million kWh of
energy and 850 kW of demand. The first year energy savings to participating customers
is conservatively estimated to be $248,894 based on 2014 rates.
rowEBED 8
Page 1 of 1 NATURE
Reliable Public
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140
ELK RIV R MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION I SEMINAR REPORT
DATE 5/9/20 4
EMPLOYEE NAME Dolores Andreasen
TITLE OF EDUCA ION!SEMINAR 2014 Minici-pals Spring Workshop
ORGANIZATION S ONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR Muni-Pals
DATES ATTENDE 1 Friday, May 2, 2014
LOCATION Eagan Community Center
WHY DID EMPLO EE CHOOSE TO ATTEND I've attended 2 workshops previously and they have
always been extre ely informative and entertaining.
WHAT INFORMATI•N WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING This particular workshop had a presentation
on PERA and it was very informative for me since I just got done filling out my PERA paperwork and it
was good to know I lied it out correctly. There was also a presentation on financial health and
retirement 101 whic I think is very helpful for the young workers in companies to learn about and to
reiterate that betwe: my husband and I,we've done a good job preparing for our retirement years.
The other presentat on that was so entertaining was done by Stevie Ray, a master entertainer and also
a keynote speaker -nd corporate trainer and he was so entertaining talking about changes in the work-
place and not swea ling the small stuff and how to be more productive in your work environment and to
also try to connect •ersonally with co-workers which will flow into a better working environment.
WAS INFORMATI•N CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO
We all discussed th workshop for several days afterwards with co-workers that attended and also with
those that didn't att=nd and talked about how enlightening the workshop was.
SI N URE
141
ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION / SEMINAR REPORT
DATE April 4-9, 2014
EMPLOYEE NAME Wade Lovelette
TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR 2014 Engineering &Operations Technical Conference
ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR APPA
DATES ATTENDED April 4-9 2014
LOCATION Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND To receive the RP3 award and to see how the APPA
Rodeo was set up as Minnesota is hosting it in 2016. I also attended different training sessions.
WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING *What it took to set up for the APPA
Lineman's Rodeo.* Learned more about reliable public power.
*I also learned about AMI metering and what it takes to get that set up and how to finance it.
*Learned about when a disaster strikes our city and what we have to do for FEMA. (Costs, annotating
maps,who to contact, etc,).
* Learned about Cybersecurity for SCADA, meter data management and GIS maps.
* Learned about Distribution Automation without purchasing costly equipment.
* Learned about 911 customers i.e. possible active shooters.
WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO
Yes. A lot was discussed with peers.
/acne 4ove€?,tte
SIGNATURE
142
ELK RIVER YIUNICIP UTILITIES EDUCATION/ SEMINAR_ REPORT
DATE �/7-/ `'r
EMPLOYEE NAME ETfa-V 7— /c,?iea'L.A--`/
TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR (7e'1-C•'ctiro-c BSc I
ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION/ SEMINAR Mill V 6
/
DATES ATTENDED L/—/5—
_/S— -16/ cif-/7 _/L(
LOCATION /%✓+1 R /`10-/-3. 1
WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND
o/Z l(/✓ 7/ GJ..,C.-P` Cj kCl(✓f er_7 3 ✓ e y.1 S-l rtC..-$
WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING
"7 Yv c..4j to 5 Le o °a flr• y C.�S f /via i�c 4,-,--c.r� ,
__
,41-10-- 5 cAiZer Ll (t-1 G., �-4,..tt C' c d. I rn Cr-- ,,`Z-el
i v-'\ & e .--(7,
WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO—WORKERS AND TO WHO
r GNATURE
143
•
ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION / SEMINAR REPORT
DATE 5/7/2014
EMPLOYEE NAME Jolene Fenn
TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR Munici-Pals Spring Workshop C
ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR Munici-Pals
DATES ATTENDED 5/2/2014
LOCATION Eagan Community Center
WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND Being new to Utilities I thought it would be a good
opportunity to learn about PERA. I was interested in the topic of Financial Health as well.
WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING I learned some basic information about
PERA and how it works,which was very helpful. I also gained some inspiration in financial health, such
as budgeting, saving, and investment tips. I also thoroughly enjoyed the motivational speaker, Stevie
Ray. He shared that laughter actually causes us to be more productive, and increases brain activity.
WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO
•
See attached. I shared these points via email with the office.
(r) ,
4/ /
p • IGNATURE
144
i
2014 Municipals Recap
Financial Healuh Dr. Marc McIntosh)
I
1
• Save e.i ly and save a lot. How much money will you need to sustain your retirement?
, Don't I:- afraid to invest in the stock market.
• Considl r investing in a stock index fund versus mutual funds.
• Take . I accounting of your personal finances:
o reate a Balance Sheet showing Assets and Liabilities
o rack your spending
o reate a budget and stick to it
o ow your credit score
Dealin• with I I . .e Stevie Ra :
• Laughti r causes the brain to operate faster and more efficiently, increases retention,and
opens ore centers of the brain than any other activity. Laughter increases productivity
in the ork place.
• Laught!r institutes time distortion. Time flies when you're having fun. Literally.
• Engag; in warm up activities prior to meetings that involve movement, eye contact, and
laught: . This will create a much more productive, connected environment. We played
the Wo d Ball Game and Clap Game.
• Don't • eat the small stuff. If you have an issue with someone, communicate it to them!
Don't ..sume your coworkers can read your mind.
• People ork better together when they connect personally with their coworkers. We are
less 1ik,ly to assume the negative about someone we know. In years past the theory was
keep Ark and personal lives separate,but new research reveals the opposite creates a
more c I hesive work environment.
o or Example: Suzie is regularly 5 minutes late. Betty is feeling resentful toward
.uzie, and assumes she is lazy and disrespectful. Betty finds out Suzie has a
olicky newborn baby at home. Betty now empathizes with Suzie, and her entire
•-rspective and attitude toward her changes.
145
ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION I SEMINAR REPORT
DATE 5/1/2014
EMPLOYEE NAME Kim Sandstrom
TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR 2014 Munici-pals Spring Workshop r
ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR
DATES ATTENDED 5/1/2014
LOCATION Eagan Community Center
WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND I wanted to learn more about PERA
retirement process. The motivational speakers usually bring some laughter and fun to the day.
WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING The PERA represenative was very
knowledgeable with the process an employee that will be retiring needs to go through.
The PERA represenative also discussed how the the fund is managed and how it grows.
Dr. Marc McIntosh talked about short and long term financial planning. He strongly suggessed to
investing in a stock index fund versus mutual funds. Start to save early and your money will compound
The League of Minnesota Cities provided legislative updates for 2014.
Stevie Ray was the motivational speaker. He said laughter increases productivity in the work place.
We played a few games to connect with our co-workers.
WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO
Yes.
/
VI Jam / 4fllsi1.AFL_
SIGN TURE
146
ELK RI ,ER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION 1 SEMINAR REPORT
DATE 5/7/20
EMPLOYEE NAM: Michelle Canterbury
TITLE OF EDUCA ON/SEMINAR 2014 Munci-Pals Spring Workshop
E
ORGANIZATION S ONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR Munci-Pals
DATES ATTENDED 1-May-14
LOCATION Ea•anI ommunit Center
WHY DID EMPLO I E CHOOSE TO ATTEND
To learn more abou'PERA, financial planning and retirement, and to have the opportunity to hear
motivational speak-4 Stevie Ra .
I
WHAT INFORMAT!•N WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING
I learned quite a bit bout PERA, everything from the different ages to retire and how the benefit amount
goes up, the high fi - average salary, the way you can take the payouts and the best time of the month to
retire.
The Financial Healt' and Retirement 101 was very good as well. The presenter talked about how
important it was to �:ve a budget and to know what your actual expenses are for each month. Once
you know that you s+ould try to have at least 12 months of reserve funds to cover these in case you
have a personal ha ship. He also stressed how important it is to invest in an S&P 500 Index Fund vs.
a Mutual Fund. Ovl -II, even though stocks are more risky,they have historically always outperformed
mutual funds, certifi•-tes of deposits and bonds. If your in it for the long haul....stocks are the way to
so.
I also enjoyed the L'gislative Updates and Q&A Session presented by the League of Minnesota Cities.
The items I felt appl -d to our business were the sales tax exemption for local units of government, the
street improvement istrict authority and how that fits in with the city charging the franchise fees for
these improvement's
Keynote speaker Stevie Ray not only entertained us but shared some great ideas on how to add humor
and increase huma ,connection at the work place. He had us do certain exercises and games to help
demonstrate the po. tive effects of this. I also liked the 'art on comfort zone, risk and panic.
WAS INFORMATI• CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO
For those that atten•ed the workshop,we've discussed some of our favorite things we learned and what
we liked about the •rkshop. We've also joked about the clapping game and the big booty game. I'm
sure we could shay=this at an u•comin• staff meetin• so that eve one can •et in on the action!
I
/ Vidte— CearLf/
SIGNATURE
147
ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION / SEMINAR REPORT
DATE 5/7/2014
EMPLOYEE NAME Michelle Martindale
TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR 2014 Munici-pals Spring Workshop
ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR Munici-Pals
DATES ATTENDED 5/2/2014
LOCATION Eagan Community Center
WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND To get more informatin on how PERA works, learning
about financial health.
WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING
PERA information, Financial planning, League of MN Cities updates
Dealing with change, how laughter and having fun makes a better workplace
WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO
Michelle Martindale
SIGNATURE
148