5.3. ERMUSR 12-09-2008Elk River
Municipal Utilities
13069 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 430
Elk River, MN 55330-0430
December 2, 2008
To: Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission
Jerry Takle
John Dietz
Jerry Gumphrey
From: Troy Adams
Subject: MMUA Safety Compliance Contract
Phone: 763.441.2020
Fax: 763.441.8099
As an update, staff is continuing to work towards contracting a safety compliance program for
2009. Elk River Municipal Utilities and the City of Elk River have paid MMUA for their safety
program services through the end of the year. City staff is continuing to research alternatives to
MMUA but no official decision has been made to leave MMUA. Because of this, the MMUA
safety compliance contract renewal has not been signed.
Through this process a number of shortcomings pertaining to the Utilities were identified with
the MMUA safety program. For one, the water department has concerns regarding facility
OSHA inspections and chemical trainings. Also, Federal and State regulation compliance for the
PCB transformer handling and storage shed were not being addressed through MMUA. In
discussions with MMUA, these issues as well as others can all be addressed at no additional cost
to the Utility. Ultimately, staff intends to secure a safety program(s) that will provide
exceptional training and a reasonable cost while reestablishing the safety culture that seems to
have weakened.
At this time, staff recommends continuing with the MMUA safety compliance program
contingent upon MMUA satisfactorily addressing all of the program shortcomings and the
Utilities' ability to terminate the contract if the City decides to make a change.