Meeting of Commissioners of
Public Utility District No. 1 of Clark County, Washington
May 2, 2017
A meeting of Commissioners of Public Utility District No. 1 of Clark County was held in the Electric Center, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Washington, on Tuesday, the 2nd day of May at the hour of 9:00 a.m.
Present: President Jane Van Dyke, Vice President Jim Malinowski, Secretary Nancy Barnes Commissioners, CEO/General Manager Wayne Nelson, Director of Operations Dan Krebs, Director of Communications Lena Wittler, Director of Water Doug Quinn, Director of Engineering Cal Morris, Director of Energy Resources Dan Bedbury, Director of Customer Service Lisa Fix, Corporate Communications Manager Erica Erland, Materials and Purchasing Manager Cathy Wannamaker, Senior Manager of Large Industrial/Conservation Planning Larry Blaufus and Assistant to CEO/General Manager Margaret Anderson.
Press Representatives: None
Others Present: Rick Syring, Don Steinke (Materials A)
At 9:00 a.m., President Van Dyke called the meeting to order for the transaction of formal business.
Consideration of the Meeting Agenda
There were no changes or corrections (Materials B).
Public Comment on Non Agenda Items
Member of the public Don Steinke provided comments regarding his desire to see consideration of conservation efforts that may require longer payback time but would result in energy savings.
Consideration of the Minutes of April 18, 2017
There were no changes or corrections.
Consideration of Accounts Payable
The board, by a unanimous vote, approved the following payment amounts as listed on the Letter of Transmittal dated May 2, 2017, from the District Auditor:
Electric Revenue Fund – $4,430,635.26
Water Revenue Fund – $305,502.20
Generating System Fund – $113,025.78
For a total of $4,849,163.24
Consideration of Resolutions of Establishment for LUD Nos. 1286 and 1287
Director of Engineering Cal Morris addressed the board regarding the Establishment of Local Utility District No. 1286 and 1287 for street lighting.
Resolution No. 7366 – LUD No. 1286 – Pleasant View Estates SP
Resolution No. 7367 – LUD No. 1287 – Hidden Crest PH 1
After the presentation by Mr. Morris, Commissioner Van Dyke opened the public hearing for comment. There being no public comment, a motion was made by Commissioner Malinowski, seconded by Commissioner Barnes and unanimously carried that Resolution Nos. 7366 and 7367 (Materials C) be adopted.
Consideration of Bid Award No. 513 – Distribution Wood Pole Replacement Project
Materials & Purchasing Manager Cathy Wannamaker reviewed the memo dated May 2, 2017, detailing the bid results (Materials D). Commissioner Barnes moved to recommend that Bid No. 513 be awarded to Christenson Electric, Inc. in the amount of $299,265.02 plus applicable taxes. Commissioner Malinowski seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
Consideration of Transfer of Uncollectable Debt
Director of Customer Service Lisa Fix addressed the board regarding the uncollectable debt for the second half of 2016 (Attachment E). Ms. Fix stated that recoveries continue to increase; they are up 22% compared to a five-year average. The percentage of net losses from closed accounts to revenue is .41%, which is below the industry standard of .56%. The utility continues to compare favorably across the industry in regard to account delinquency.
Following the presentation, staff recommended the board approve charging $646,266 to uncollectable debt for the second half of 2016. Commissioner Malinowski moved to transfer $646,266 to uncollectable debt for the second half of 2016. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Barnes and it passed unanimously.
Consideration of Resolution Adopting the 2016 Conservation Achievement Annual Report
Senior Manager of Large Industrial/Conservation Planning Larry Blaufus presented the 2016-2017 Conservation Achievement Report (Materials F). The report, required by the Energy Independence Act, detailed the utility’s conservation results as they compared to the biennial target adopted in 2015. The utility’s conservation target of 7.74 aMW was established using the Utility Analysis Option. At year end in 2016, halfway through the biennial reporting period the utility is reporting a total electricity savings of 5.05 aMW in addition to utility expenditures of $7,388,686. The projected savings for the 2016-2017 biennium is 16.55 aMW which is well above the target of 7.74 aMW.
Commissioner Barnes moved to approve the 2016 annual conservation report to document the utility’s progress to meet the 2016-2017 conservation targets and instructed staff to submit the report to Commerce by the reporting deadline of June 1, 2017. Commissioner Malinowski seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Home and Garden Idea Fair Recap
Communication Services Manager Heather Allmain highlighted the success of the 26th annual Home & Garden Idea Fair (Materials G). She noted that while the event has evolved over the years, the goals have remained the same and staff continues to focus on engaging with customers, providing information about utility programs and building loyalty and trust through in-person interaction.
Without the more than 200 employee volunteers, full support from utility leaders and the committee of staff from departments across the utility, the event would not be possible. Commissioners thanked Ms. Allmain, the planning team and the hundreds of employees that volunteered time to make the event possible.
Commissioner Reports and Comments
Commissioner Malinowski reported on his attendance at the Energy Northwest meetings.
Staff Reports
There were no staff reports.
Other Business before the Board
There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was recessed at 10:25 a.m. to executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no formal action taken. At 11:17 a.m. Commissioner Van Dyke reconvened the public meeting and there being no further business to come before the Board the meeting was adjourned at 11:17 a.m.