1.7 ERMUSR 03-11-2025UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO: FROM:
ERMU Commission Tony Mauren – Governance & Communications Manager
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
March 11, 2025 1.7
SUBJECT:
2025 Committee Appointments
ACTION REQUESTED:
Appoint by motion the Committee members
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
Per ERMU policy, the Commission shall appoint committee members annually following the
election of officers during the regular meeting in the month of March. The Commission shall
also appoint committee chairs at that time. All appointments are for a one-year term.
There are currently four Commission committees: the Wage & Benefits Committee, the
Financial Reserves & Investment Committee, the Information Security Committee, and the
Dispute Resolution Committee.
After gauging interest in who would like to serve on each committee, the following committee
appointments should be made:
Wage & Benefits Committee – 2 appointments; one being Chair
Currently appointed: John Dietz – Chair and Mary Stewart
Financial Reserves & Investment Committee – 2 appointments; one being Chair
Currently appointed: Matt Westgaard – Chair and Nick Zerwas
Information Security Committee – 1 appointment
Currently appointed: Mary Stewart
Dispute Resolution Committee – 2 appointments; one being Chair
Currently appointed: Matt Westgaard – Chair and Paul Bell
ATTACHMENTS:
Commission Policy – G.2g – Commission Committees
Commission Policy – G.2g1 - Wage & Benefits Committee Charter
Commission Policy – G.2g2 – Financial Reserves & Investment Committee Charter
Commission Policy – G.2g3 – Information Security Committee Charter
Commission Policy – G.2g4 – Dispute Resolution Committee Charter
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 1 of 1
12
COMMISSION POLICY
Section:Category:
GovernanceGovernance Policies
Policy Reference:Policy Title:
G.2gCommission Committees
PURPOSE:
With this policy, the Commission establishes and communicates its purposes and the means by
which it creates and empowers committees to assist the Commission in its work. This policy
applies to any group formed by Commission action, whether or not it is called a committee and
whether or not the group includes Commission members. It does not apply to committees formed
under the authority of the General Manager.
POLICY:
Commission committees, when created, will be used to reinforce the wholeness of the
Commission and never to interfere with the delegation of authority from the Commission to the
General Manager or to any officer of the Commission. Commission committees will not have
direct involvement with current management and staff employee functions.
Consistent with this general statement:
1.The Commission will use committees sparingly and only for as long as required to
accomplish its purposes. Committees may be appropriate in circumstances where the
Commission recognizes the need for more in-depth review of information and issues, and
where a committee is the best way to make effective and efficient use of available
Commission member expertise and time. Committees may also be appropriate where it is
necessary or desirable for the Commission to visibly demonstrate regulatory compliance or
accountability to its stakeholders (e.g. Financial Reserves and Investments Committee).
2.Committees ordinarily will assist the Commission in the following specific ways by:
a.Monitoring organization performance metrics and related information;
b.Preparing policy alternatives and their implications for Commission deliberation and
action;
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 1of 2
13
ERMU Commission Policy G.2g Commission Committees
______________________________________________________________________________
c.Determining the level of compliance with existing Commission policies and evaluating
the results of policy compliance or non-compliance.
3.When the Commission creates a committee, it will develop and approve by resolution a
written committee charter that sets forth the purposes, duration, expected outcomes,
leadership, membership, delegated authority, available resources, and other information
needed for the committee to function successfully. The General Manager will designate
management/staff committee members if so requested. The Commission, by majority vote,
will appoint Commission members to committees and remove or replace them, as
appropriate. The Commission, by majority vote, will also appoint, remove, and replace a
Committee Chair, Vice-Chair and any other positions of leadership that the Commission
determines appropriate.
4.The Commission recognizes that appointments to a Committee provide opportunities for
learning and Governance development. Accordingly, the Commission endeavors to appoint
Commission members to committee leadership positions who do not already hold a
Commission office.
5.The Commission will review the committee charter and performance of any standing
committee at least annually to determine if changes are required or if the committee is still
required.
6.Commission committees may not convene a meeting that includes a quorum of the
Commission.
7.Commission committees may not speak or act for the Commission except when formally
given such authority for specific and time-limited purposes. Expectations and authorities will
be carefully stated in order not to conflict with authority delegated to the General Manager or
Commission Chair.
8.Commission committees may not exercise authority over management and staff employees.
The General Manager is accountable to the whole Commission and is not required to obtain
approval of any Commission committee before taking an executive action.
9.Commission committees will avoid relating to or identifying with discrete parts of the
organization rather than the whole. A Commission committee that has helped the
Commission create policy on a particular subject will not be used to monitor organizational
performance on that same subject, except with specific Commission approval.
POLICY HISTORY:
Adopted May 9, 2017
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 2of 2
14
COMMISSION POLICY
Section:Category:
Governance Governance Policies
Policy Reference:Policy Title:
G.2g1 Wage & Benefits CommitteeCharter
PURPOSE:
The Wage and Benefits Committee exists to help the Commission develop and maintain a pay
plan structure and benefits package that are market competitive, help promote employee
retention, and to help the Commission make informed decisions which provide value to the
customers through fair labor expenses. This Committee also exists to help the Commission with
succession planning and review pay equity compliance.
MEMBERSHIP:
The Committee shall be comprised of two Commissioners, the General Manager, the
Administrations Director, and the Operations Director. At no time shall there be a quorum of the
Commission on the Committee.
The Commission shall appoint Committee members annually following the Commission election
of officers during the March Regular Commission meeting. The Commission shall also appoint
the Committee Chair at that time.
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR:
The primary role of the Committee Chair is to run the Committee meetings. The Committee will
adhere to the Current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised for all situations to
which they are applicable and are not inconsistent with ERMU’s bylaws, policies, and any
special rules of order that the Commission may adopt. Committee meetings may be open or
closed in accordance with Open Meeting Law.
AUTHORITY:
Except as established in this Committee Charter, the authority of the Committee is limited to the
purpose of research and recommendation to the Commission. The Committee, at the discretion
and through formal action of the Commission, may be empowered beyond the role of research
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 1 of 2
15
ERMU Commission Policy – G.2g1 Wage & Benefits Committee Charter
______________________________________________________________________________
and recommendation such that it is consistent with the Organizational Core Purpose policies
and the Commission Committees policy.
SPECIFIC DUTIES:
1. At the request of the Commission, research and analyze topics related to employee
compensation and benefits.
2. Annually perform market benchmarking and evaluate wages. The Committee shall present
options and make recommendations regarding cost of living adjustments and pay plan
structure modifications to the Commission for their consideration.
3. Review insurance policies and evaluate policy renewals related to employee benefit
insurances. The Committee shall present options and make recommendations regarding these
insurance policies to the Commission for their consideration.
4. Evaluate wage and benefit requests from employees. Present and make recommendations to
the Commission as appropriate.
5. Review submittal information pertaining to pay equity compliance requirements and present
options and make recommendations to the Commission as appropriate.
6. Record minutes of Committee meetings. Committee meeting minutes shall be subject to
applicable data retention law and policies.
SCHEDULE:
At a minimum, the Committee shall meet on a quarterly basis.
TERMINATION:
The Committee shall exist until at such time formal action of the Commission is taken to
dissolve the Committee.
POLICY HISTORY:
Adopted May 9, 2017
Revised February 14, 2023
Revised January 9, 2024
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 2 of 2
16
COMMISSION POLICY
Section:Category:
Governance Governance Policies
Policy Reference:Policy Title:
Financial Reserves & Investment
G.2g2
Committee Charter
PURPOSE:
The Financial Reserves & Investment Committee exists to help the Commission develop and
maintain industry appropriate financial reserves and investment policies.
MEMBERSHIP:
The Committee shall be comprised of two Commissioners, the General Manager, and the
Finance Manager. At no time shall there be a quorum of the Commission on the Committee.
The Commission shall appoint Committee members annually following the Commission election
of officers during the March Regular Commission meeting. The Commission shall also appoint
the Committee Chair at that time.
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR:
The primary role of the Committee Chair is to run the Committee meetings. The Committee will
adhere to the Current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised for all situations to
which they are applicable and are not inconsistent with ERMU’s bylaws, policies, and any
special rules of order that the Commission may adopt. Committee meetings may be open or
closed in accordance with Open Meeting Law.
AUTHORITY:
Except as established in this Committee Charter, the authority of the Committee is limited to the
purpose of research and recommendation to the Commission. The Committee, at the discretion
and through formal action of the Commission, may be empowered beyond the role of research
and recommendation such that it is consistent with the Organizational Core Purpose policies
and the Commission Committees policy.
SPECIFIC DUTIES:
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 1 of 2
17
ERMU Commission Policy – G.2g2 Financial Reserves & Investment CommitteeCharter
______________________________________________________________________________
1. At the request of the Commission, research and analyze topics related to financial reserves
and investments.
2. On a periodic basis, the Committee will review the Investment Policies, investment balances,
and the various investment instruments for return, liquidity, and diversification. The
Committee may present options and make recommendations to the Commission for their
consideration.
3. Annually, when the Commission designates the official depository for the year, it should
provide for the Finance Manager to recommend that additional depositories be designated for
the purpose of investing funds.
4. On behalf of the Commission and Committee, new investments will be authorized by the
Finance Manager, with the funds actually being transferred via a check produced by the A/P
Specialist, and recorded in the check register detail presented at the regular Commission
meetings. Investments that mature shall be reinvested by the Finance Manager. All investing
will be transacted working with the investment firm(s) or bank(s) for the best rate of return
within the constraints of the Management Investment Policy. In the event that the Finance
Manager is unable to conduct the above investment responsibilities, the General Manager has
the authority to act in his/her absence.
5. On a periodic basis, the Committee will review the Financial Reserves Policies and reserve
balances. The Committee may present options and make recommendations to the
Commission for their consideration.
SCHEDULE:
At a minimum, the Committee shall meet on an annual basis.
TERMINATION:
The Committee shall exist until at such time formal action of the Commission is taken to
dissolve the Committee.
POLICY HISTORY:
Adopted May 9, 2017
Revised July 14, 2020
Revised January 9, 2024
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 2 of 2
18
COMMISSION POLICY
Section:Category:
Governance Governance Policies
Policy Reference:Policy Title:
G.2g3Information SecurityCommitteeCharter
PURPOSE:
Information security is managing risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of
information using administrative, physical, and technical controls.
The Information Security Committee exists to help develop and maintain industry appropriate
information security policies and oversight. Because of shared hardware and resources, there
exists an overlap and shared risk for ERMU and the City of Elk River (City) operations.
Although governed autonomously, this shall be an advisory Committee to both the ERMU and
the City.
MEMBERSHIP:
This Committee shall be comprised of equal representation from ERMU and the City. From
ERMU this committee shall include a Commissioner and the General Manager. The General
Manager will appoint three additional members, at least one of whom will be a manager and at
least one will be an information technology employee. From the City this committee shall
include a Councilmember and the City Administrator. The City Administrator will appoint three
additional members, at least one of whom will be a manager and at least one will be an
information technology employee. At no time shall there be a quorum of the Commission or the
Council on the Committee.
The Commission shall appoint ERMU’s Committee member representatives annually following
the Commission election of officers during the March Regular Commission meeting. The
Council shall appoint its member annually. The Committee shall elect a chair annually. The
General Manager and the City Administrator shall serve as the authorized reporting
representatives for their respective governing bodies.
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR:
The primary role of the Committee Chair is to run the Committee meetings and act as committee
secretary. The Committee will adhere to the Current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 1 of 3
19
ERMU Commission Policy – G.2g3 Information Security Committee Charter
______________________________________________________________________________
Revised for all situations to which they are applicable and are not inconsistent with ERMU’s
bylaws, policies, and any special rules of order that the Commission may adopt; and similarly,
the Committee action shall not be inconsistent with applicable laws and policies which regulate
the City of Elk River. Committee meetings may be open or closed in accordance with Open
Meeting Law.
AUTHORITY:
Except as established in this Committee Charter, the authority of the Committee is limited to the
purpose of research and recommendation to ERMU and the City.
SPECIFIC DUTIES:
1. P
olicies and Procedures: Assist ERMU and the City in the development of information
security related policies. Review effectiveness of information security policy
implementations. Identify and recommend how to handle non-compliance. Assist with the
development of information security related procedures, standards, guidelines, and baselines
to the ERMU and the City. At least annually, provide timely reports including
recommendations regarding effectiveness of polices and procedures to ERMU and City
leadership teams.
2. Risk Assessment: Review industry appropriate information security trends to maintain an up-
to-date perspective on related risks and industry’s best practice risk mitigation methods.
Identify significant threats and vulnerabilities. Assess the adequacy and coordination of the
implementation of information security controls. Recommend methodologies and processes
for information security. Evaluate ongoing related legal and regulatory compliance changes.
Review incident information and recommend follow-up actions. At least annually, provide
timely reports including recommendation regarding risks assessment to ERMU and City
leadership teams.
3. Budget Development: Develop data needed for thorough evaluation of proposed information
security initiatives for budget preparation and consideration. Information shall include
options, risk evaluation, resource requirements, implementation timelines, and costs. At least
annually and coordinating with their respective budgeting process schedules, provide timely
reports regarding information security initiatives proposed for consideration to ERMU and
City leadership teams.
4. Education and Awareness: Function as an information security program champion providing
clear direction and unity in ERMU and City leadership teams’ support for approved security
initiatives and policies. Develop and implement plans and programs to maintain information
security awareness. Promote information security education, training, and awareness
throughout ERMU and the City.
CHEDULE:
S
At a minimum, the Committee shall meet on an annual basis.
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 2 of 3
20
ERMU Commission Policy – G.2g3 Information Security Committee Charter
______________________________________________________________________________
TERMINATION:
The Committee shall exist as a joint effort between ERMU and the City until at such time either
the Commission or Council dissolve the joint nature of the Committee.
POLICY HISTORY:
Established August 8, 2017
Revised November 12, 2019
Revised February 14, 2023
Revised January 9, 2024
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 3 of 3
21
COMMISSION POLICY
Section:Category:
Governance Governance Policies
Policy Reference: Policy Title:
G.2g4 Dispute Resolution Committee Charter
PURPOSE:
The Dispute Resolution Committee exists to provide customers an alternative dispute resolution
option for circumstances which: require action beyond the authority assigned through the
Delegation to Management Policies; require policy creation, revision, or exception; have
exhausted the established utilities procedures and/or protocol; and involves customer protected
data for which the customer prefers addressing the issue through a meeting closed to the public.
For qualifying customer disputes, the Committee will provide: an informal hearing in
accordance with Open Meeting Law allowing the customers to communicate the concern; recess
and reconvene as needed to conduct appropriate research and/or deliberate; make a
determination within parameters established through the Commission Policies and within the
authorities delegated through this policy; and report and/or make recommendations to the
Commission as required.
MEMBERSHIP:
The Committee shall be comprised of five members, three appointed annually and two which vary
with each dispute. The three members appointed annually shall include two Commissioners and
the General Manager. At no time shall there be a quorum of the Commission on the Committee.
The Committee shall also include the director and the manager most directly involved in the
dispute.
The Commission shall appoint Committee members annually following the Commission election
of officers during the March Regular Commission meeting. The Commission shall also appoint
the Committee Chair at that time.
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR:
The primary role of the Committee Chair is to run the Committee meetings. The Committee will
adhere to the Current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised for all situations to
which they are applicable and are not inconsistent with ERMU’s bylaws, policies, and any
Page 1of 3
22
ERMU Commission Policy – G.2g4 Dispute ResolutionCommittee Charter
special rules of order that the Commission may adopt.
AUTHORITY:
Except as established in this Committee Charter, the authority of the Committee is limited to the
purpose of dispute resolution within the authorities delegated to management through the
Commission Policies, research related to customer disputes or complaints, and recommendations to
the Commission. The Committee, at the discretion and through formal action of the Commission,
may be empowered beyond the role as outlined in this policy such that it is consistent with the
Organizational Core Purpose policies and the Commission Committees policy.
SPECIFIC DUTIES:
1. After a formal request is submitted for a qualifying customer dispute, the
Committee will schedule a hearing, either in person or virtual, within a reasonable
amount of time.
2. Through the hearing, the Committee will allow the customer to communicate
relevant information and request dispute resolution which may require policy
creation, revision, or exemption.
3. The Committee is required to verify all information and data; and the Committee will
review the Customer’s account history and other relevant information.
4. And as needed, the Committee shall research industry best practices related to the dispute.
5. The Committee is authorized to engage legal counsel for legal review and
recommendations.
6. The Committee will make a determination whether resolution can be provided within the
authorities assigned through this policy; and if so, the Committee will provide written
summary of the dispute and the authorized resolution for implementation by management.
7. When no action is taken by the Committee toward resolution, the Committee will determine
whether the request warrants further consideration by the Commission, in which case the
Committee will present a summary of the dispute to the Commission and a make
recommendation. In the event thatno action is taken by the Committee, and the Committee
has determined that the dispute does not warrant further consideration or advancement to
the Commission, the Committee shall summarize their finding in a report to be provide to
the customer and placed on file.
8. The Committee shall record minutes of all Committee meetings. Committee meeting
minutes shall be subject to applicable data retention law and policies.
SCHEDULE:
The Committee shall meet on an as-needed basis.
Page 2of 3
23
ERMU Commission Policy – G.2g4 Dispute ResolutionCommittee Charter
TERMINATION:
The Committee shall exist until at such time formal action of the Commission is taken to
dissolve the Committee.
POLICY HISTORY:
Adopted January 12, 2021
Revised February 14, 2023
Revised February 13, 2024
Page 3of 3
24
CHECK REGISTER
February 2025
APPROVED BY:
Paul Bell
John Dietz
Mary Stewart
Matt Westgaard
Nick Zerwas
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE UTILITIES COMMISSION
HELD AT UTILITIES CONFERENCE ROOM
February 11, 2025
Members Present: Chair John Dietz, Vice Chair Mary Stewart, Commissioners Matt Westgaard,
and Nick Zerwas
Remote Members: Commissioner Paul Bell participated in the meeting via interactive television
as he was out of state at the time of the meeting.
Members Absent: Commissioner Nick Zerwas
ERMU Staff Present: Mark Hanson, General Manager
Sara Youngs, Administrations Director
Melissa Karpinski, Finance Manager
Tony Mauren, Governance & Communications Manager
Tom Geiser, Operations Director
Chris Sumstad, Electric Superintendent
Mike Tietz, Technical Services Superintendent
Megan Zachman, HR Generalist
Others Present: Jared Shepherd, Attorney; Cal Portner
1.0 GOVERNANCE
1.1 Call Meeting to Order
The regular meeting of the Utilities Commission was called to order at 3:30 p.m. by Chair Dietz.
Pledge of Allegiance
1.2
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Consider the Agenda
1.3
Moved by Commissioner Westgaard and seconded by Commissioner Stewart to approve the
February 11, 2025, agenda. Motion carried 4-0.
2.0 CONSENT AGENDA (Approved By One Motion)
Commissioner Stewart recommended a wording change on page 45 of the meeting packet,
within the language of item 2.3 Cogeneration and Small Power Production Tariff. She
suggested it read “Effective January 2024” rather than “Starting January 2024” as this was the
second year of referenced Grid Access Fee. Staff said they would make the change.
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Meeting Minutes
February 11, 2025
Page 1
56
Moved by Commissioner Stewartand seconded by Commissioner Westgaard to approve the
following Consent Agenda with the recommended changes:
2.1 Check Register – January 2025
2.2 Regular Meeting Minutes – January 14, 2025
2.3 Cogeneration and Small Power Production Tariff – Schedule 1, 2, and 3
Motion carried 4-0.
3.0 OPEN FORUM
No one appeared for open forum.
4.0 POLICY & COMPLIANCE
4.1 Commission Policy Review – G.3d – Monitoring Performance of the General Manager
Mr. Mauren presented his policy review noting the Commission would be looking at two
policies this month as they both build on the General Manager Evaluation which was to be
discussed later in the meeting. Mr. Mauren noted one recommended change where the
policy refers to a biannual governance agenda which has since become an annual agenda.
There was consensus to make the change. There were no other recommended changes.
Moved by Commissioner Bell and seconded by Commissioner Stewart to adopt updated
policy G.3d – Monitoring Performance of the General Manager language. Motion carried
4-0.
.3e – General Manager Performance Planning and
4.2 Commission Policy Review – G
Evaluation
Mr. Mauren then presented the second policy which establishes the means for evaluating
the general manager’s performance. Mr. Mauren noted one recommended change opting
for the term “their” in place of “his/her” to make the language gender neutral. There was
consensus to make the change. There were no other recommended changes
Moved by Commissioner Westgaard and seconded by Commissioner Stewart to adopt
updated policy G.3e – General Manager Performance Planning and Evaluationlanguage.
Motion carried 4-0.
4.3 General Manager Evaluation Questions Update
Mr. Mauren presented his memo on updated questions to the general manager
evaluation. Mr. Mauren also raised a point brought by Commissioner Stewart that it may
help in the simplification of the survey by moving from a 5-point scale (Far Exceeds
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Meeting Minutes
February 11, 2025
Page 2
57
Expectations, Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, Improvement Necessary,
Unacceptable) to a 3-point scale (Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, Needs
Improvement). There was discussion. Ultimately there was consensus to adopt the 3-
point scale suggested by Commissioner Stewart. The Commission also stated their
intention to continue focusingon providing written comments to add context to the
scores.
Moved by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner Westgaard to adopt
updated general manager evaluation questionsand the 3-point scoring scale. Motion
carried 4-0.
4.4 2024 Annual Safety Report
Mr. Hanson presented his memo with the attached OSHA Form 300A which reported two
recordablesafety incidentswith zero days away from work. Mr. Hanson explained one
incident was a slip and fall and the other was a documented case of progressive hearing
loss. Mr. Hanson credited managers for making ERMU a safe place to work. There was
discussion.
Ms. Zachman explained that in response to the hearing loss case, Minnesota Municipal
Utilities Association provided additional hearing protectionas well as a device that tracks
decibels in the staff work environment to better understand the source of the issue.
5.0 BUSINESS ACTION
5.1 Financial Report – December 2024
Ms. Karpinski presented her memo which showed unaudited totals for December 2024,
explaining that ERMU had ended the year strong.
Ms. Karpinski noted that while water is not favorable to budget ERMU is due water tower
attachment payments of over $300,000.
Chair Dietz noted with footnote 7 on page 69 that the funds to pay for Frontier Energy for
their commercial rebate support at $189,139 potentially exceeded what might be
required for full time staff to perform the duties. Staff explained that historically it has
been a challenge to meet the state mandated energy savings through staff efforts alone
and that Frontier has helped ERMU meet that requirement. Staff also explained that
meeting state limits reduces ERMU’s conservation expenditure requirement which saves
the organization money. Ms. Youngs elaborated that Frontier provides technical skills and
strengthens relationships with commercial customers in a way that current staffing would
not be able to.
There was discussion about the end of year state of the electric budget.
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Meeting Minutes
February 11, 2025
Page 3
58
Moved by Commissioner Stewartand seconded by Commissioner Westgaard to receive
the December 2024 Financial Report. Motion carried 4-0.
5.2 2024 Fourth Quarter Delinquent Items
Ms. Karpinski shared her memo which shows that write offs were close to average in
2024, and credited ERMU’s collection specialist with managing delinquent accounts well.
Moved by Commissioner Belland seconded by Commissioner Westgaardto approve the
2024 fourth quarter delinquent items submitted. Motion carried 4-0.
5.3 Strategic Plan and 2024 Annual Business Plan Results
Mr. Hansonpresented his memo and asked individual managers to speak to their item
listed on the attachment labelled Highlights, Challenges, and Results from the 2024
Strategic Plan Initiatives.
The Commission shared their appreciation for the presentation, stating they felt the
summary provided the information they needed to assess the organization’s performance
in strategic initiatives.
5.4 Water Service Line Ownership
Mr. Hanson presented his memo and report on different models of ownership around the
state and invited the commission to discuss possible policy changes to ERMU’s water service
line ownership.
Chair Dietz shared his understanding that there is no requirement that the City’s water
service line ownership mirror sewer service line ownership. There was discussion.
After being asked, Mr. Hanson estimated there could be one commercial service line failure
every 2 to 3 years on average.
Mr. Hanson explained the best practice for utilities who own their water connection is to
proactively replace them whenever they are exposed by projects such as road repair. These
replacements cancost approximately $3,000 eachand in an average year ERMU may
encounter 45 exposed connections.
Chair Dietz asked if ERMU’s insurance policy could be adjusted to help withrepairor
replacement costs should the utilities decide to take ownership of the curb stop. Staff said
they would look into that possibility.
Mr. Portner informed the Commission that water main is not insured. There was discussion.
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Meeting Minutes
February 11, 2025
Page 4
59
Chair Dietz asked if ERMU has previously assessed repair costs to customers. Staff responded
that they had.
Mr. Hanson recentered the conversation, asking the group if they are interested in socializing
costs and reminding them that this is a presentation of information that does not require
immediate action.
There was consensus to delay action on the topic and bring it back for review in 60 days to
allow further consideration. Final points include that these are large changes to policy for
relatively infrequent events and that ERMU has a Dispute Resolution Committee that allows
the organization to be responsive to unique circumstances that may arise.
5.5 Advanced Metering Infrastructure Update
Mr. Tietz presented his memo.
6.0 BUSINESS DISCUSSION
6.1 Staff Updates
Mr. Hanson shared his upcoming schedule.
The Commission was provided physical copies of the 2024 Year in Review with extra copies to
be provided to the City Council.
ity Council Update
6.2 C
Chair Dietzprovided a city council update.
Future Planning
6.3
Chair Dietz announced the following:
a. Regular Commission Meeting – March 11, 2025
b. 2025 Governance Agenda
6.5 Other Business
Ms. Youngs shared that the annual commission orientation would occur during the March
meeting.
7.0 ADJOURN REGULAR MEETING
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Meeting Minutes
February 11, 2025
Page 5
60
Moved by CommissionerWestgaard and seconded by Commissioner Stewart to adjourn the
regular meeting of the Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission at 5:52 p.m. Motion carried
4-0.
Minutes prepared by Tony Mauren.
___________________________________
John J. Dietz, ERMU Commission Chair
___________________________________
Tina Allard, City Clerk
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Meeting Minutes
February 11, 2025
Page 6
61