6.1h ERMUSR 09-13-2022______________________________________________________________________________
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UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:
ERMU Commission
FROM:
Chris Sumstad – Electric Superintendent
MEETING DATE:
September 13, 2022
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
6.1h
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
ACTION REQUESTED:
None
DISCUSSION:
• Installed 5 new residential services, which involves the connection of a secondary line
once the customer requests service.
• Crews are working on installing underground lines to replace the overhead near Naples
Street and 186th Avenue in Elk River. This is a nice section to replace lines as some of this
overhead passes through back yards and heavy tree cover.
• Joe Schmidt from Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association was here the first part of
August to certify some employees on the operation of our forklift. The entire field staff
will be certified on the forklift soon as this piece of equipment will be heavily used in the
new field services building.
• Curt Arndt started as the new Inventory & Procurement Assistant on August 16. He has
worked in the inventory and warehouse field for many years and is a welcome addition.
• Mi-Tech Services was here in early August and tested 227 of our wood poles in the
system. We try to test between 225-300 poles annually. This year 6 poles were rejected
and need to be replaced along with a dozen or so poles that needed minor parts
replaced or repaired.
• Crews rerouted 450 feet of three phase primary line and relocated the transformer at
Emmanuel Christian Center. This was needed to make way for their new addition.
• We had a three phase pole struck by a vehicle in the early morning hours of August 25
at Highway 10 and Gary Street. The wires needed to be taken down after the accident
and then restrung over Highway 10 the next day. The three phase pole as well as the
overhead transformer on an adjacent pole needed to be replaced and an adjacent street
light pole needed to be replaced across the highway.
• Crews installed 1,100 feet of underground primary wire to get service to the scale at
Ernie Toth Pit located near Highway 169 and 225th Avenue in Elk River.
• Added a three phase service for the new Caribou Coffee location on Lowell Street and
Highway 10.
• Fixed a couple of infrared issues found by our substation apparatus technician on the
reclosers for Feeders 93 and 71.
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