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6.1.f. ERMUSR 11-18-2014 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: November 18th, 2014 6.1f SUBJECT: Staff Update DISCUSSION: • Working with Elk River Landfill to update safety and operating procedures for fire, arc flash, and spill prevention, containment, and countermeasure plans. The arc flash study will be completed by United Services Group. We have met with WM staff to work through requirements of the arc flash assessment. The SPCCP will follow the arc flash assessment. Talks are continuing on the expansion of the landfill gas to electric plant. • Working with Sherburne County staff and Commissioners on the shovel ready data center site. • Worked with CAER to provide an energy efficiency rebate for new cold storage equipment that they'll be installing. They'll be receiving a$12,000 rebate from ERMU. • Provided tours of the Elk River Landfill Gas to Electric Power plant to 150 students from Hassan Elementary School, and approximately 30 students from Calvin Christian. • There has been a great deal of interest in the off-peak electric programs this fall. This is most likely a result of the tight supply and high prices of propane last year. We have also seen customers switching from electric to natural gas where it's available. Many customers are seeing the benefit of having two sources of space heat. • Energy City is working with the Elk River Chamber of Commerce to find a new representative on the Energy City Commission. The Chamber will work to have the position filled by June of 2015. The reason the date is so far out is a result of the Chamber working on their strategic plan and Board elections. • Energy City Commission will be providing tours to City and Utility staff members to educate them on Energy City and all that we have to offer. There will be a series of dates and times that staff can sign up for as long as they have pre-approved the time away from the office with their supervisor. • Presented information at the 80th Annual American Institute of Architects Convention on Smart Macro, Community, and Microgrids—Managing Power,with representatives from Gausman&Moore Mechanical and Electrical Engineers. The information session was attended by 120 architects. • Staff worked to validate billing information and rates as part of the CC&B conversion. EN POWERED 11 Page 1 of 1 NATURE Reliable Public Power Provider P O W E R E D T O S ERNE 140 ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION / SEMINAR REPORT DATE 10/17/2014 EMPLOYEE NAME Ben Elsenpeter TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR MIC ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR NISC DATES ATTENDED 9/15/14-9/17/14 LOCATION St. Louis, MO WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND New software program for the Plant Inventory WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING Navigation of the software Idea's on how to improve productivity How other co-op's and Municipals work there inventory system Benefit of bar coding inventory Year end count WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO Shared information with Mark, Lorrie, Theresa, and Kim Ben Elsenpeter SIGNATURE 141 ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION !SEMINAR REPORT, DATE /4//e EMPLOYEE NAME Ckr. 5 _41 /4!,,�..X TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR /7;245,4;31,4;3 IejQ/l ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMIN �fc`_h! C.:P_... fir'ez'X DATES ATTENDED //AV/ LOCATION ��-- � ,. , WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND l'Af c's%At 1/ v * WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING /-Y26-1Z)2, ,5GG41zQ �����-sue' ' ' x clv 44-c—cr A-v -19 / k i i2 Ste` 0z2r/ r•5t . WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO 0 " r6•1 41 SIGNATURE 136 ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION I SEMINAR REPORT DATE 11/7/2014 EMPLOYEE NAME Jennie Nelson TITLE OF EDUCATION!SEMINAR NISC's Member Information Conference ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR NISC DATES ATTENDED 9/15-9/17 LOCATION St. Louis WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND As we are knee deep in the NISC billing software conversion, I wanted to be able to meet some of the other utilities that are using the software and gain some knowledge from them about the system. WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING I was able to form some relationships with other utilities using NISC's software and learn some tips for the conversion process. We went to several classes that also gave us a glimpse of the software and how other utilities used different pieces of the software. NISC staff also debuted some of the upgrades that were going to be implemented within the next few months. WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO Yes,we talked about the conference in a staff meeting. aL! � V J I SIGNATURE 137 ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION 1 SEMINAR REPORT DATE 11/6/2014 EMPLOYEE NAME Jolene Fenn Jansen TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR Great Expectations-Finishing Well with an Angry Customer ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR Resource Training Solutions DATES ATTENDED 11/6/2014 LOCATION Sartell, MN WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND I am always up for some extra training that will help me in my job- WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING It was a very good refresher and motivator relating to excellent customer service. There were some very good points- "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom. "Viktor E. Frank) This quote was given at the end and was incredibly inspiring. It was a good reminder that an upset customer really just wants to be heard and empathized with, even if we can't do what they're asking us to do. An upset customer has a lot of emotion behind what they are communicating-don't take it personally. WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO All of the CSRs attended the training so we did discuss the seminar on the way home. I only had a chance to tell Jennie that I enjoyed it but didn't give her details. d. l / ,: '1 41..1 G ATURE l 138 ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION !SEMINAR REPORT DATE November 7th, 2014 EMPLOYEE NAME Meridee Romie TITLE OF EDUCATION/SEMINAR Finishing Well with an Unhappy Customer ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR Resource Training ans Solutions DATES ATTENDED November 6th LOCATION Sartell, MN WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND Helpful customer service info is always useful WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING Reminded how important each and every customer is,looking at each encounter as an opportunity to turn a situation around WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO all 4 CS Reps went to training /� �. URE 139 ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION / SEMINAR REPORT DATE 11/6/2014 EMPLOYEE NAME Michelle Anderson Finishing Well With an Unhappy Customer/Dealing with Difficult TITLE OF EDUCATION!SEMINAR People ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR Resource Training and Solutions DATES ATTENDED 11/6/2014 LOCATION Bartell, MN WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND Because we deal with these customers on a daily basis and refreshing our skills is always helpful WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING We learned the value of empathy, giving a customer full attention, acknowledging feelings, apologizing and asking for clarification. We learned words or phrases that can inflame a situation and others that can calm a situation. We also learned that perception can be infuenced by content, tone and non verbal however the rate at which that perception is influential is different depending on if you are on the phone or in person. WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO All of the CSRs attending this training so we were all able to hear it first hand SIGN T 140 ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES EDUCATION /SEMINAR REPORT DATE IU 0 V , ).0I EMPLOYEE NAME I -4(C,h.e((� f V 1 4,-d a TITLE OF EDUCATION!SEMINAR N 1SG -x lt4Q'1bec Injurra-61 Covlirec ORGANIZATION SPONSORING EDUCATION SEMINAR Iv iSG DATES ATTENDED S49-F-. [L5 " f (_O LOCATION S� Lows ` M D WHY DID EMPLOYEE CHOOSE TO ATTEND ID (vee,� USer c TD �I[ri� Du-f VITA i 1OU1) fie. So-f-/1 (ems IN III Sive0441,wie, lirrh Du/' w Q, -iv ask- ques-h6r6 WHAT INFORMATION WAS LEARNED BY ATTENDING (i0(,) +D ' Karp(.(S 2 16100titke AleJ _ i Vat tl,(e/.) wIia-ff- -cols but(1 be, r °S{- we- wowtd in , 4.-tdfa ( U e.. i S puns . ►rfrp-a I J pYVc cdci I,u e uSe Cwrn_n.4-Gtv Tv e. er vAd-e l%s- d e. 44414i.kioCv cL tititu SC-lub LS gm VII +0 IVIAxlm � i c-r cry bu tt, WAS INFORMATION CONVEYED TO SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS AND TO WHO S h(n d aboak d o.cces a.bh'n00, G Ae. bei i i i Vu e,. c owt4 r se e, Sys-koti I r futi SIGNATURE 141