Board of Commissioners Meeting 5:00 PM 15 September Chimacum Road - Port Hadlock, WA

Transcription

1 Board of Commissioners Meeting 5:00 PM 15 September Chimacum Road - Port Hadlock, WA 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. AGENDA 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3.1 Minutes Regular Meeting of 1 September APPROVAL OF VOUCHERS 4.1 Financial Director Operating Statement 4.2 Summary Lead sheet 4.3 Payment of PUD#1 of Jefferson County Payroll 4.4 Payment of PUD#1 of Jefferson County Vouchers/Warrants 5. ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR that are not listed on the Agenda. 6. COMMISSIONER REPORTS 7. EXECUTIVE SESSION Personnel and Attorney Selection 8. ACTION ITEMS: 8.1 OlyCAP agreement 9. DISCUSSION ITEMS: 9.1 PUD Bill Stuffer for NISC 9.2 Customer Survey 10. MANAGER REPORT OTHER BUSSINESS 11. COMMISSIONER CALENDAR 12. CORRESPONDENCE 13. FUTURE PLANNING 14. ADJOURNMENT

2 PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 1 of Jefferson County September 1, 2015 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES The Regular Meeting of the Public Utility District No.1 of Jefferson County was called to order by the President of the Board of Commissioners at 5:00 p.m. Commissioners and staff present were: Wayne King, President Kenneth Collins, Vice-President Barney Burke, Secretary James Parker, District Manager Bill Graham, District Resource Manager Kevin Streett, District Electrical Superintendent Robert Caprye, District Auditor Malcolm Harris, Legal Counsel, via telephone Kate Pike, Brisa Services AGENDA The Agenda was approved with addition of Low-income Discount Calculation under ACTION ITEMS and customer survey and newsletter under DISCUSSION ITEMS. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: By Commissioner Burke, Second by Commissioner Collins, carried unanimously, to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of August 4, 2015, the Regular Meeting Minutes of August 18, 2015, the Special Meeting Minutes of August 18, 2015, and the Special Meeting Minutes of August 24, APPROVAL OF VOUCHERS MOTION: By Commissioner Collins, Second by Commissioner Burke, carried unanimously, to approve payment of: Warrants No through in the amount of $ 318, Warrants No through in the amount of 7,562.25

3 $ 326, Total Warrants PUBLIC COMMENT (for items not listed on the Agenda) Judy Layman, Paula Bartlett, Harmony Pinette, Flavia Heineman, Lue Bland, Kitty Snell, Trudie Vanbarkley, Roger Riseley all addressed the Board with comments and concerns about the recent windstorm-caused electrical outages. The Manager and the Electrical Superintendent outlined processes of restoring power, the limitations of staff and crews and the need for assistance outside the county. COMMISSIONER REPORTS Commissioner Collins August 18: Attended PUD Special Meeting with NoaNet August 20: Attended Jefferson County Energy Lunch August 23: Attended Local 20/20 and Department of Emergency Management All County Picnic August 24: Attended PUD Special Meeting regarding attorney selection August 25: Met with PUD staff and Citizen Advisory Board members to discuss customer survey September 3: Expect to attend meeting of Friends of Public Power Commissioner Burke August 18: Attended PUD Special Meeting with NoaNet August 19-21: Attended Energy Northwest and NuScale meetings in Corvallis, Oregon August 20: Attended Jefferson County Energy Lunch August 23: Attended Local 20/20 and Department of Emergency Management All County Picnic August 24: Attended PUD Special Meeting regarding attorney selection August 26: Attended meeting of City/County Climate Action Committee September 14: Expect to attend meeting of Citizen Advisory Board September 22-24: Expect to attend Washington Public Utility District Association meetings Commissioner King August 18: Attended PUD Special Meeting with NoaNet August 24: Attended PUD Special Meeting regarding attorney selection September 3: Expect to meet with PUD staff for Fair debrief September 9: Expect to meet, with District Resource Manager, NoaNet personnel

4 At 6:10 p.m. legal counsel Malcolm Harris, attending via telephone, departed the meeting. EXECUTIVE SESSION At 6:10 p.m. the Board moved to Executive Session for matters of personnel and attorney selection. The Regular Meeting resumed at 6:42 p.m. ACTION ITEMS a) Resolution No Void Warrants The Manager presented Resolution No authorizing cancelation of PUD issued Warrant No in the amount of $15.40, Warrant No in the amount of $ and Warrant No in the amount of $ The Board took the following ACTION: MOTION: By Commissioner Burke, Second by Commissioner Collins, carried unanimously, to adopt Resolution No authorizing cancelation of PUD issued Warrant No in the amount of $15.40, Warrant No in the amount of $ and Warrant No in the amount of $ b) Resolution No Emergency declaration The Manager presented Resolution No declaring the period August 29 and 30, 2015 a state of emergency and authorizing the Manager to purchase materials and order work, under RCW , to assist regularly employed personnel in any amount necessary. The Board took the following ACTION: MOTION: By Commissioner Collins, Second by Commissioner Burke, carried unanimously, to adopt Resolution No declaring the period August 29 and 30, 2015 a state of emergency and authorizing the Manager to purchase materials and order work, under RCW , to assist regularly employed personnel in any amount necessary. c) Attorney Selection Process The Manager presented information on the interview and final selection process and the contract process for legal counsel selection to represent the PUD. After brief discussion the Board took the following ACTION: MOTION: By Commissioner Burke, Second by Commissioner Collins, carried unanimously, to direct the Manager to proceed with process to negotiate with Richard L. Hughes to serve as general counsel and McDowell Rackner & Gibson for counsel on matters of electricity and fiber.

5 d) Low-income Discount Calculation The Manager clarified that the $20-per-month low-income discount offered to those eligible is not intended to permit cash-back crediting. After brief discussion the Board took the following ACTION: MOTION: By Commissioner Burke, Second by Commissioner Collins, carried unanimously, to clergy that the $20 per-month low-income discount offered to those eligible will not permit cash-back crediting; staff is directed to notify the billing system. DISCUSSION ITEMS a) 2016 Budget - Budget on File The Manager presented the 2016 draft budget, currently on file in the District office, as well as a memorandum regarding understanding and assumptions used to develop the budget, RCW (regarding tax levy and collections), personnel worksheets, electrical worksheets and administration/billing worksheets. Budget workshops are currently planned for September 21, 2015 and,if necessary, September 29, The mandated budget hearing is to occur on October 5, 2015 with further workshops to occur as needed budget is to be approved on November 3, b) Resolution No PUD Telecom Rates and Charges The Manager presented proposed Resolution No establishing the District telecommunications network and network access charges, the North Olympic Peninsula Data Centers summary of changes to the PUD telecom rate sheet, correspondence from Leo Boyd II concerning Wave Broadband current rates and his proposal for PUD rates, and correspondence from Tom Thiersch on RCW regarding wholesale telecommunications services. There was discussion around NoaNet services with other public utility districts and JNet (Jamestown Networks). Staff is to obtain further information from other public utility districts and legal counsel. c) Outage Response There was discussion about the August 29 nearly county-wide electrical outage, the excellent response by PUD staff, assistance from out-of-county responders and local agencies, and need and ability to generate information. There was discussion regarding assistance with notification processes. d) PUD Bill Stuffer for NISC There was discussion around getting information to rate payers concerning the new billing system to be initiated by NISC (National Information and

6 Solutions Cooperative) using bill stuffers, web page, media outlets and newsletter. e) Customer Survey and Newsletter Commissioner Collins presented two versions of a customer satisfaction survey to possibly be sent to customers prior to beginning of the new billing system, noting one version more favorable. Also mentioned was a possible need for a current newsletter. MANAGER REPORT The Manager reported that, regarding personnel, the District Human Resources Manager is addressing insurance coverage with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union and Public Utility Risk Management Services (PURMS). She is also investigating alternative Labor & Industries rebate programs. The Manager and District Special Projects Coordinator attended a Jefferson County hearing for Four Corners facility building setup. State Auditor is expected on September 16 for complex auditing process. Process for LUD 3 booster pump station design has begun. Sparling Well is pumping water into the Quimper Water System. Regarding Shine Platt project, requiring a new water right and possible Department of Health-approved treatment, water lines, meter and funding, process has begun. NISC (National Information Solutions Cooperative) will hold District trainings from September 14 through 17, from October 5 through 9, and from October 12 through 15. Live date is expected to be November 9. Contracts with Paymentus, Infosend, Paymode-X, and UTI are being terminated. CORRESPONDENCE Correspondence from Cindy Jayne, Partners of Planning for Climate Change ADJOURNMENT MOTION: By Commissioner Burke, Second by Commissioner Collins, carried unanimously, to adjourn the Regular Meeting at 6:58 p.m.

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17 Jefferson County PUD Customer Satisfaction Survey The Jefferson County Public Utility District (JPUD) is conducting a survey to gather our customers' opinions about the electric utility service which JPUD acquired from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) about two and a half years ago. This survey is limited to the electrical service provided by JPUD; we will conduct another survey on water services later. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and return it to the JPUD. Please place a number from 1 to 5 beside each of the following statements to indicate whether you (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) No Opinion, (4) Agree, or (5) Strongly Agree. Low-income Assistance: JPUD should provide assistance to low-income customers, even if it may increase my electric bill (estimated impact to be between $2 to $3 per month). Service Quality: I think customer service is better since JPUD took over from PSE two and a half years ago. I think that PSE was more responsive to customer problems than JPUD is today. Overall I think electric service is better since JPUD took over from PSE two and a half years ago. Rates: I think the most important thing is for JPUD to provide reliable service. I think the most important thing is for JPUD to charge the lowest possible rates. Corporate citizenship: JPUD needs to have more community involvement to show that it cares about its customers. Communication: JPUD does a good job communicating with its customers. Management: In general, JPUD management (Commissioners and management) is not doing a very good job. New initiatives: JPUD should invest now in new technologies, such as broadband, community solar power and electric vehicle chargers. Customer Comments:

18 Jefferson County PUD Customer Satisfaction Survey The Jefferson County Public Utility District (JPUD) is conducting a survey to gather our customers' opinions about the electric utility service which JPUD acquired from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) about two and a half years ago. This survey is limited to the electrical service provided by JPUD; we will conduct another survey on water services later. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and return it to the JPUD. Please place a number from 1 to 5 beside each of the following statements to indicate whether you (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) No Opinion, (4) Agree, or (5) Strongly Agree. Low-income Assistance: JPUD should provide assistance to low-income customers, even if it raises my electric bill (estimated impact to be between $2 to $3 per month). Service Quality: I think customer service was better before JPUD took over from PSE two and a half years ago. I think that JPUD today is more responsive to customer problems than PSE used to be. Overall I think electric service is worse since JPUD took over from PSE two and a half years ago. Rates: I think the most important thing is for JPUD to provide reliable service. I think the most important thing is for JPUD to charge the lowest possible rates. Corporate citizenship: JPUD has shown it cares about its customers by community involvement. Communication: JPUD needs to do a better job communicating with its customers. Management: In general, JPUD management (Commissioners and management) is doing a very good job. New initiatives: JPUD should postpone investing in new technologies, such as broadband, community solar power and electric vehicle chargers. Customer Comments:

19 CUSTOMER SURVEY QUOTES Based on 18,000 Customers SOS Printing Envelopes $1,559 Mailing out and providing an envelope to mail back x 2 Survey $614 Postage $17,640 x 2 Fold and Mail $1,250 Two weeks needed before distribution Address/sort $21,063 Approx. or Folded mailer only $720 Postage $BRM/ Business Reply Mail Permit. Only have to pay for postage on those that are returned. See link to BRM Will take time to apply for permit. Plus temps to calculate see below The Printery Envelopes Mailing $3, Drop to PT post office Addressing Permit for mailing? Postage out $2,236 Postage on return on each sent back? $8000 approx plus whatever the permit is and how many are returned. Plus Temps to calculate see below

20 SDS Survey Research Mail and on line $5,000 Can do week of Oct 5th with results back by Nov 25, 2015 or Benchmark data base from other similar industries such as other utilities nationwide. Telephone survey $4,500 Can do week of Oct 5th with results back by Oct 30, 2015 and on line or $8,800 If we include our questions, not their standard benchmark questions They do all of the work, sending out, calculating and giving us the analysis. Temps to Calculate Probably need 2 for one/two days. Not sure. $135/Day

21 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Agenda Wenatchee, WA September 18, :00 am 11:00 am DRAFT 8:00 am Call to Order President Dennis Bolz Pledge of Allegiance Vice President Dennis Reid Approval of July Board Meeting Minutes (Attachment #1) Approval of September Agenda 8:10 am President s Report President Dennis Bolz 8:20 am Executive Director s & Federal Report George Caan 8:30 am POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM Discuss possible adoption of recommendation from Telecom Committee to support SB 6046 addressing retail telecom authority for PUDs. (Attachment #2) 9:00 am Budget Committee Ben Kostick 9:15 am Energy Northwest Report Robin Rego 9:30 am BPA Report Scott Wilson 10:00 am Break 10:15 am Committee Reports Government Relations/Communications Water Energy Telecom Commissioner Education & Training 10:45 am Member Reports and Other 11:00 am Adjournment All times are approximate

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24 Washington PUD Association September 16-18, 2015 Wenatchee, WA DATE MEETING NAME LOCATION/INFORMATION Wednesday, September 16 Thursday, September 17 Friday, September 18 Tour of Rock Island Dam 8:30 AM 11:00 AM Commissioner Education Tour 11:30 AM 5:00 PM Welcome Reception 5:30 PM 6:30 PM Education Steering Committee 8:00 AM 9:00 AM Telecom Committee 9:00 AM 10:00 AM Energy Committee 10:00 AM 12:00 PM Member Lunch 12:00 PM 1:00 PM Government Relations and Communications 1:00 PM 2:30 PM Water Roundtable 2:30 PM 3:30 PM Executive Committee 3:30 PM 4:30 PM Member Dinner 6:00 PM 8:00 PM Board of Directors Meeting 8:00 AM 12:00 PM Rock Island Group to meet at location. Prior clearance needed to attend. Topic: Conflict Resolution Catered Lunch during roundtable Chateau Faire Le Pont Winery (light appetizers and wine tasting) Pybus Market 3 N. Worthen, Wenatchee *Meetings will be held at the Confluence Technology Center Technology Center Way, Wenatchee

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